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April 28, 2004

Bad Idea of the Year Award

The first entry for the "First Annual Interocitor Bad Idea of the Year Award" goes to Britain's Dr Rachel Armstrong, who

said the US space agency Nasa was considering how to deal with the natural urges of astronauts travelling on long journeys such as a three-year trip to Mars, where the six-strong crew would be likely to include two women.

"Nasa is talking about the chemical sterilisation of astronauts on longer journeys," Dr Armstrong said, in a talk discussing the problems humanity may face in trying to reach the planets and, eventually, the stars. *
I can see the volunteers lining up for that one.

Heinlein discussed this problem to some extent in Stranger In A Strange Land, suggesting that married couples be given advantage in the selection process, as sex was unavoidable and all-male crews are unhealthy [and all-gay crews beg the question -ed]. Then again, the solution didn't turn out all that well for the crew of the Envoy. Accordingly, birth control would seem to be in order, as would be not naming any Mars-born offspring "Valentine Michael."

*p.s. NASA denies it is contemplating any such idea.

Posted by Kevin Murphy at April 28, 2004 10:27 PM | TrackBack
Comments

When I first heard this story, I thought "what is the big fricken deal". The more I thought about it, the more I thought this just had to be some form of urban legend.

First off, who's to know if they do have sex, one way or the other. So two astronauts make the "beast with two backs", how does this effect NASA at all. These people are on the other end of the freaking solar system fer cryin out loud. Are you honestly going to tell me that the Russians havent had some close up interpersonal physical interaction when they are up there for 18 months at a time? Come on man, I'm sure "Rosy Palm and her five little sisters" have made plenty of flights up from baikonur up to Ivans habitation canister. So Ivan goes and gets a partner every once in awhile, big deal.

I know folks stationed at the south pole research station, they are cut off for months at a time and in close contact with "members of the opposite sex". Well guess what, they (gasp!) have sex. and guess what! science continues to go on there despite the sticky intervention of human emotion.

Where do people come up with this crap?

Posted by: Frank Martin at April 28, 2004 11:47 PM

>>Where do people come up with this crap?

Got me. And why do they want/expect to control it?

Posted by: Kevin Murphy at April 28, 2004 11:50 PM