Love in low gravity: The surprisingly high stakes of sex in space

"NASA's Artemis 2 mission is about to take humans farther into space than we have ever gone; SpaceX is preparing to test the latest version of Starship, its interplanetary transport system; and just today, a crew of four astronauts flew to the International Space Station to replace the team that was evacuated last month due to a medical emergency. These efforts are part of a common vision: expanding humanity's presence beyond Earth, including the eventual creation of human settlements on Mars."

"People have been traveling to space for more than six decades and have been living off-planet continuously since 2000, when the International Space Station (ISS) became operational. Yet, no one has had sex in space (as far as we know). This is surprising given the extensive research dedicated to understanding nearly every aspect of how space affects biological systems. Not to mention that, as exceptional as they are, astronauts are still human."

"It's not that there hasn't been an opportunity. In 1992, NASA astronauts Mark Lee and Jan Davis spent 8 days together on the Space Shuttle Endeavour as newlyweds. Lee and Davis kept their marriage a secret until shortly before the launch, but it was still an unusual move for NASA, and despite rampant speculation, no one at the agency would comment after their flight on the possibility of any private interactions the couple may have had while in orbit."

Artemis 2, SpaceX Starship tests, and recent ISS crew rotations mark renewed momentum in human spaceflight and ambitions for settlements on Mars. Living on Mars would confront lower gravity, intense radiation, and toxic soil, with personal and social dynamics—such as sexual activity and privacy—also posing practical challenges. Humans have lived continuously off-Earth since 2000 on the ISS, yet no confirmed sexual activity has occurred in space despite extensive biological research. Historical examples include a married astronaut couple aboard Shuttle Endeavour in 1992, and current habitats like the shuttle and ISS lack true private spaces. Future commercial stations could enable greater privacy.

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