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NASA Puts A Stop To Space Romance
electro-donkey writes "According to a New Scientist article, romantic entanglements among astronauts could derail long-haul space trips. A top-level NASA panel has decided, though it could alleviate boredom, space sex could cause trouble too. On a mission to Mars, for example, which would take up to 30 months, sexual conflict or infidelity could lead to a 'breakdown in crew functioning'."
What is worse than 30 months without sex? 30 months in a small closed environment, where others have sex, but you don't get any.
Man, that would get me frustrated beyond reason. And the realisation of this is why I understand why NASA is doing this.
Actually, 30 months without sex, I think I could do it if I were on such a mission. Because I would be mentally prepared for this. I know the other crewmembers are not having sex either. And the sex fixation in our siciety would not be there on a daily basis. Of course, I would expect periods of frustration. But I don't think it would be a major problem.
When there is no potential for sex, when there is no constant reminder of sex around you, it is much easier to live without it. But if others in your crew are having sex, and you don't get any. That would really make things difficult.
Of course, drugs that temporary kill libido would be very welcome too.
Send them up half male and half female with orders that they need to rotate partners on a daily basis. Well laid people with multiple partners they aren't previously attached to are less likely to get into jealous rages or similar problems.
How would mandatory daily sex be any better than forbidden sex? What if you're gay -- can you turn down partners of the other sex? Or, despite your qualifications, do you not get to go on the mission at all, since it's unlikely you'd get provided with more than one other gay partner in the article's 6-8 member crew? What if you're straight and just aren't attracted to a particular member of the opposite sex -- do you get to turn them down, too? Are you going to carefully choose four attractive straight men and four attractive straight women for your mission and hope that none of them realizes mid-journey that they're actually interested in someone of the same sex and messes your little rotations up? You really think mandating sex will be less disruptive than forbidding it or just letting it happen on its own?
These people are astronauts and know their lifes depend on working together. If they can't work together even when they hate each other (or worse - love each other) then they shouldn't be sent up.
Exactly. They're highly trained intelligent adults; there shouldn't be any need for either sex bans or your solution. They should be tested for their ability to peacefully coexist with a small group of people for sustained periods of time before they're chosen for the mission, since this is a key requirement for their job, and then trusted to live up to their training. Someone who's prone to jealous rages shouldn't be sent, regardless of their overall brilliance. Other than that, as long as the group regularly voices its concerns and deals with them, I fail to see what the problem of space relationships would be.