Can Astronauts Channel Their Sexual Desires Into Space?

Illustration (Wikipedia)

JAKARTA - Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket has just made history by sending a spacecraft from the first private company to land on the International Space Station (ISS). This opens the door to a future where civilians can also explore outer space.

When we want to leave the earth, of course we must be ready to leave worldly things. We may not really have a problem with leaving our cell phones or favorite earthy foods behind. But, the question is, can we abandon basic desires like sex?

Some say, space is not a conducive environment for intercourse (intercourse). Paul Root Wolpe, director of the Emory Cum University Ethics Center, who is also a senior bioethicist at NASA, explained that there were difficulties in moving to do this.

"Many think that when having sex when you lose gravity people can move in unusual ways," Wolpe said, quoted by VICE. It is just the opposite. "Making love in microgravity is actually more difficult because you always have to hold on to each other," he said.

However, according to Wolpe, that's where the fun is. It gives a new sensation. "It's probably a lot more challenging and less satisfying than most people think," he said.

The problem is not just the difficulty of moving with each other, but scientists and NASA have always been skeptical about the psychological impact of sexual relations on special space missions. This is evident from the fact that NASA and the ISS often avoid questions that pertain to sex in outer space.

In fact, one of NASA's advisers as well as an expert on sex and gender health, Marjorie Jenkins in her article entitled Effects of Sex and Gender on Adaptations to Space: Reproductive Health explained that ejaculation is very important for men to avoid the risk of bacteria accumulating in their prostate which can then cause infection.

In addition, according to a study concluded that masturbation is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Can you masturbate?

Given that the space mission is certainly full of pressure, so an astronaut is necessary for an escape. If you can't have sex between two people, then can you just masturbate?

For this one it still seems possible. A retired Soviet cosmonaut, Valeri Polyakov wrote in his diary quoted by The Guardian that he had several times received "blue" films that were supposedly good for helping restore passion. "There is nothing to be ashamed of," he wrote.

Polyakov also admitted that his superiors encouraged him to carry an inflatable sex doll to support him for his 14 months alone on the space station. But he said he was very much against it. According to him, people who use such tools are very likely to get addicted, even when he has returned to earth.

Meanwhile, another astronaut named Aleksandr Laveykin, in the book Packing for Mars written by Mary Roach, tells his experience of how to channel his biological needs. Laveykin said it was natural.

"My friends ask me, 'How do you make love in outer space?' I replied, 'With my hands!' said Laveykin, implying that he also experiences wet dreams from time to time.