The Universe: Sex in Space Marks New Era For Mankind?

by IC | December 1, 2008 at 03:17 pm

5828 views | 41 Recommendations | 13 comments

Extended human excursions beyond Earth are within a decade's reach. Yet what's the point if the quest for space lacks the people factor? More than just the human need for intimacy, but also procreation and survival itself will depend on successfully contending with the extreme environments of space. In a milestone episode, The Universe series explores the human factor: Sex in Space. It's time to talk about it!

December 1, 2008 -- The History Channel will break ground when it airs a milestone episode of The Universe: Sex in Space.

The topic, while crucial to humanity's expansion into space, has been considered taboo for decades of space faring exploration history. However, NASA is planning long-term missions for lunar settlements and, as humans move to explore and colonize space, it has become obviously apparent that space is about more than one kind of thrust; human relationships and reproduction need to be addressed.

Since 2006, space enterprises in the private sector have triumphed with history-making aviation/aerospace milestones such as Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne and Elon Musk's SpaceX first private orbital launch of the Falcon I rocket. Robert Bigelow's prototype space hotel has been successfully orbiting Earth for over a year.

Space tourism businesses are burgeoning. Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, the world's first spaceline, is offering sub-orbital flights. Migration to space is advocated by humanity's brightest minds as an insurance for long-term survival. These are a few indicators that the speculated boom in space sex is imminent.

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku and Vanna Bonta, novelist and inventor of the 2Suit, a flight suit that stabilizes human proximity for various forms of intimacy in microgravity environments, are among guests joining The History Channel for the television premiere of Sex in Space which will cover the topic from the sex act through birth, and may get to the bottom of the rumors to find out if space sex has already happened.

This show is clearly a milestone. It appears that finally the thrust is about more than rockets, humanity is growing up, it's time to have that talk, and this is a new era for the history of mankind.

Tuesday December 02 at 9 PM / 8 PM (CST)
Wednesday, December 03 01:00 AM
Saturday, December 20 03:00 PM

The History Channel The Universe: Sex In Space

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politisite

at 13:48 on December 2nd, 2008

Sex in space... How messy that could be.

Xenophile (not verified)

at 22:41 on December 2nd, 2008

The couple didn't have any trouble staying together that I could see. What they had some trouble with was getting together in the first place... in less than thirty seconds... with a bunch of stuff going on around them.

If these two had a little more experience with the zero-G, a little privacy, and say a full minute to get together, they would have had no problem staying together for five, ten, thirty minutes or more. Just wrap your arms and legs around each other. No special suits or Snuggle Tunnels needed.

jeff k. (not verified)

at 00:51 on December 3rd, 2008

Agreed. Bonta said the 2Suit wasn't designed for parabolic flight, they only had like 30 seconds. It's a start though. This was the first mission to test anything regarding human intimacy in extreme environments. One small step. Monumental. I felt lucky to be living in these times watching it. They threw open the doors to the future! That Nasa Dr. Logan was good too. One of the best yet. That snug tunnel was not my pick why go all that way if you can't do zero gravity? Fantastic episode!

Xenophile (not verified)

at 22:41 on December 2nd, 2008

Filio (not verified)

at 04:20 on December 3rd, 2008

all the work would be in wrapping the legs to keep connected. that's why the two-suit is ideal so you can do more besides work to stay close ... or you can hang so to speak :) the couple didn't have trouble once they attached their two-suits. that hot sphere was definitely an item too! but i didn't get the point of the tunnel ...that's like a sleeping bunk, ISS has those already.

watts (not verified)

at 01:15 on December 4th, 2008

I believe it's spelled '2Suit.'

Ross Tsystems (not verified)

at 01:41 on December 3rd, 2008

This was a good show. Had a problem with some parts. They said the plane is 737 -- it's a 707. The beginning and end were great. The middle a little slow and I thought the doctor was a little pessimistic and pedantic. Some of the tourism tunnel was trivial and didn't seem to fit. Vanna Bonta is articulate, exceptional to hear her, was disappointed there wasn't more would like to hear more of what she has to say. Her invention is a gift to the human race. That older couple in the end was great. Overall ovation for this show. Looking for more on it.

MP24 Utah (not verified)

at 14:22 on December 4th, 2008

I was stoked to know there is such as thing as a 'Space Tourism Society'! This was a very provocative show in more ways than one. I'm looking to buy one of those suits ... uh make that TWO 2suits. Someone said people on Earth should wear them as a statement. I'm for that! Universe also does great CGI. This was their best!

lana deym campbell (not verified)

at 09:54 on December 9th, 2008

What a wonderfully fascinating and important show, bringing to the fore sex and procreation. Most interesting was the visionary Vanna Bonta and her invention, the interviews with her at the beginning and end, as well as the experiment with the two-suit in space. These are central questions of humanitiy's survival in space. I had no idea "sex in space" was considered such a problem, nor that the few experiments of animal procreation in space thus far have shown disastrous consequences.

It is shocking that NASA has outlawed sex in space and not followed up with accelerated research on sex and procreation as a priority. Their attitude is reactionary prejudice (so people in space cannot fall in love or marry on long missions???) and shortsightedness. It seems particularly incredible with world catastrophes looming, such as global warming, or possible asteroid strikes of the magnitude that could also cause climate change and the end of our species.

The two-suit is attractive, chic - and a great idea! It would be romantic to wear with a partner on earth :), and a direct way to send a protest message to NASA!

matt weiss (not verified)

at 14:28 on December 13th, 2008

Good story and overview. The Universe topped its great content with this one. I love this series. Humanity's mind will never regain its shape after this. That's a good thing.;)

Chandra Pearl (not verified)

at 11:00 on December 19th, 2008

This is a very big deal.

I watch "Sex In Space" when it aired earlier this month. What an outstanding look at the next layer of human evolution! Brilliant writer and inventor, Vanna Bonta, was featured in this episode. She and her husband exchanged a kiss (in the name of science) to demonstrate a prototype of her 2suit during a Zero-G ride. In a micro-gravity environment, intimacy is difficult, and Bonta's suit facilitates that.

With NASA Administrator Michael Griffin pointing out that one day more Earthling people will be living off the planet than on it, the very existence of our species depends on our total sexual health, which involves so much more than the mere mechanics of intercourse and procreation. Marvelous that Vanna Bonta and others are considering such aspects of sex in space as mankind heads towards true new world exploration and colonization.

uke (not verified)

at 15:50 on February 25th, 2009

Check the local listings the show is on all the time in rerun demand - again on Feb 28 History channel. You can also check it out on YouTube. The Universe. Sex in Space. I already ordered the dvd because it's a collector's for sure.