Jun 29 2010

International Space Station Sex Ban

Category: science,spaceamuzikman @ 8:55 am

From the London Telegraph:

Commanders do not allow sexual intercourse on the International Space Station. “We are a group of professionals,” said Alan Poindexter, a NASA commander, during a visit to Tokyo, when asked about the consequences if astronauts boldly went where no others have been. “We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship. Personal relationships are not … an issue,” said a serious-faced Mr. Poindexter. “We don’t have them and we won’t.”Mr. Poindexter and his six crew members, including the first Japanese mother in space Naoko Yamazaki, were in Tokyo to talk about their two-week resupply mission to the International Space Station. The April voyage broke new ground by putting four women in orbit for the first time, with three female crew joining one woman already on the station.Sexual intercourse in space may appear out of bounds, but astronauts have been known to succumb to earthly passions. In 2007 former NASA astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak allegedly wore adult diapers when driving hundreds of miles across the United States without bathroom breaks to confront a suspected rival in a romance with a fellow astronaut.

Given the sheer number and magnitude of problems facing us at home and abroad I can only say how relieved I am that this issue has been dealt with decisively.  I will now proceed to check it off my list of concerns.