Lust in Space: Are Astronauts Doing It?

If you're like me -- and God help you if you are -- you've been obsessively following the astronaut love- triangle scandal. And you've been asking yourself: If two astronauts were obsessed with each other on earth, could they get it on up there in space? Especially if they had a thing about diapers?

Slate magazine wondered the same thing. (Boy, do I like the way they think). Here's what they discovered:

If astronauts have had space sex, it would have been verydifficult. First off, there isn't much privacy up there. A regularshuttle is about as big as a 737, and the two main areas—the crew cabinand middeck—are each the size of a small office...The space station, onthe other hand, has a little more room to operate.

But if there was booty, would it be any good?

Recent research suggests it would not. For one thing, zerogravity can induce nausea—a less-than-promising sign for would-belovers. Astronauts also perspire a lot in flight, meaning sex withoutgravity would likely be hot, wet, and surrounded by small droplets ofsweat. In addition, people normally experience lower blood pressure inspace, which means reduced blood flow, which means … well, you knowwhat that means.

Viagra, right? Well, maybe not. Viagra can cause low blood pressure, not a good thing when you already have it; you might faint during a moment when you'd rather be conscious.
(That's why people aren't supposed to use Viagra with nitrate medications or poppers: the two can combine to really lower blood pressure.)

Readers, are there any drugs (legal ones, please) that astronauts couldsneak into space to make sure their sexual response doesn't fall toearth? And that business about little droplets of sweat floating in theair -- would that apply to other fluids too?
Do Astronauts Have Sex?[Slate]