![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEC_292398025-99e6.jpg\")
\n\t\tDon\u2019t prepare for lift-off when it comes to astronauts\u2019 pocket rockets (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tDon\u2019t prepare for lift-off when it comes to astronauts\u2019 pocket rockets (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
In space, no one can hear you scream. But that\u2019s not the only anomaly you\u2019ll experience if you venture outside of Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Since NASA\u2019s Artemis II crew set off<\/a> on their mission around the Moon last week, the intricacies of life on board the Orion shuttle<\/a> has been a constant source of intrigue.<\/p>\n From what the astronauts eat (Nutella, mango salad and beef brisket, apparently) to how they use the toilet<\/a>, we\u2019re all fascinated by what they get up to between lunar surface observations or trajectory adjustments.<\/p>\n There\u2019s one thing they\u2019re probably not doing however, and that\u2019s having erections.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s estimated men have an average of 11 erections<\/a> a day \u2014\u00a0a figure that varies depending on factors like age and lifestyle \u2014 Orion\u2019s male passengers will likely rack up zero throughout their entire 10-day voyage<\/a>.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s all down to how interstellar travel impacts the body\u2019s internal organs.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018In space, the cardiovascular system is under constant stress,\u2019 Dr Earim Chaudry, chief medical officer at digital healthcare provider,\u00a0Voy<\/a>, tells Metro. \u2018Microgravity causes fluids to shift toward the upper body, reducing overall blood volume and disrupting how blood pressure is regulated throughout the body, which has real consequences for sexual function.\u2019<\/p>\n The physiological mechanics involve the dilation of blood vessels in the penis, with blood filling its erectile tissue and helping maintain rigidity.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSex. Love. Modern Mess. Listen to new Metro podcast Just Between Us\t\t\t<\/p>\n X Factor icon Diana Vickers and writer, broadcaster, and LGBTQ+ advocate Jack Guinness dive into your wildest sex, love, and dating dilemmas \u2013 every Tuesday.<\/p>\n Listen\u00a0wherever you get your podcasts<\/a> or watch on YouTube. And be sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode.<\/p>\n You can also join the fun on our WhatsApp Group Chat\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 share your dilemmas and Diana and Jack may just give you a call. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Basically, blood flow is key to getting hard, and \u2018if the driving pressure is reduced or circulation is compromised, achieving and sustaining an erection<\/a> becomes significantly harder.\u2019 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSex in space: the final frontier\t\t\t<\/p>\n NASA maintains no sexual activity has ever taken place<\/a> on its missions, despite rumours (now debunked) about a \u2018sex in space\u2019 experiment in the 90s.<\/p>\n And since astronauts are under 24\/7 surveillance and follow a strict schedule, with no \u2018private time\u2019 on shuttles or the ISS, they can\u2019t exactly sneak off.<\/p>\n There have been a few attempts otherwise though; back in 2015, Pornhub started a crowdfund to produce the first pornographic film in space, but struggled to raise the funds or find a carrier to host the actors.<\/p>\n An adult entertainment company, Private Media Group did make a movie (The Uranus Experiment) featuring a zero-gravity sex scene in 1999, but it was filmed on Earth, in an aircraft designed to simulate the experience of weightlessness \u2014 and because of budget and technical issues, they only managed a 20-second shot.<\/p>\n While biological studies in the field of \u2018space sexology\u2019 have been conducted<\/a> , there are no confirmed cases of anyone actually taking the giant leap and giving it a go. <\/p>\n This is also the case when it comes to female arousal<\/a>, which relies on genital blood flow and engorgement in a process called vasocongestion.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not the only thing hindering this metaphorical lift-off for astronauts.<\/p>\n Dr Chaudry explains: \u2018Beyond the mechanics, reduced blood volume and cardiovascular dysregulation can cause fatigue and light-headedness, both of which are fairly effective libido dampeners. <\/p>\n \u2018Sexual desire is shaped by hormonal and psychological factors too, but the physical conditions for arousal simply become less favourable in space.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Experiencing the wonders of the cosmos like few have ever done before<\/a>, the last thing on the Artemis II team\u2019s minds will be sex \u2014 and removing the potential for awkward, unexpected boners is surely no bad thing.<\/p>\n But even if they did want to give it a go and somehow managed to get their pocket rockets working, without gravity, Newton\u2019s third law of motion (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction) would turn bumping and grinding into drifting and floating away.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the lack of natural convection, causing sweat to be trapped against the skin in a hot, sticky \u2018shell\u2019 of liquid enveloping the body; uncomfortable and messy at the best of times, let alone during intimacy.<\/p>\n Still, with space travel gradually becoming more accessible for civilians, and scientists suggesting life on Mars may actually be a somewhat realistic prospect<\/a>, mastering the art of procreation in orbit could potentially become critical to the survival of the human race.<\/p>\n And once they get the biology and physics of it down, the term \u2018engage thrusters\u2019 could take on a whole new meaning.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Male](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-BD6689-001.jpg\")
\n\t\tTurns out, gravity is pretty necessary (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"US-CANADA-SPACE-ARTEMIS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269690824.jpg\")
\n\t\tA spacecraft isn\u2019t exactly a sexy setting (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\nMORE: People think Nasa\u2019s Artemis II has found a face on the dark side of the moon<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: I had four inches of my penis amputated after a \u2018death smell\u2019 from my privates<\/a><\/p>\n