and an invasion of privacy. The panel believed that this could be a major source of hostility and interpersonal conflict. It was also believed that technical considerations will be given priority over cultural factors in planning for the space station and that separate, sexually segregated, facilities will not be included in station design. Formal scheduling for use of common facilities by each sex, and formal sanctions for violation of the schedule, were regarded by the panel as undesirable approaches to solution of the problem. The most desirable approach to this difficulty would involve changes in cultural values and norms so that common facilities can be used by both sexes without it being regarded as an invasion of privacy and without giving rise to deviant behaviour. This, however, is unlikely to occur in a situation of uncontrolled cultural evolution. Homosexual activity is likely to take place between consenting males and consenting females. This is likely to produce extreme hostility on the part of some individuals who strongly adhere to heterosexual standards. Panel responses in relation to homosexuality were quite ambiguous and lacked consensus. It was felt that cultural norms concerning homosexuality and recruitment of partners in space would arise, and this was regarded as desirable if space homosexuality occurs. But there was indecision concerning the desirability of screening potential space workers in order to uncover homosexual tendencies. Earth-based screening to ensure that homosexuals are not allowed on space crews was regarded as undesirable, but so was the possibility that homosexual preferences will not be included in premission screening. Requiring homosexual space workers to acknowledge their homosexuality, and making this acknowledgement to the rest of the workers, was also regarded as being undesirable. Formal regulations prohibiting homosexual activity were regarded as undesirable, as was minimization of access to privacy in order to reduce opportunities for covert homosexual activity. Heterosexual relationships between consenting partners are also likely to occur in the station, but equal opportunities for sexual gratification are not likely to be available to all crew members. Sexual competition and interpersonal hostility over sexual matters are likely to occur and these could endanger mission accomplishment as well as the existence of the station itself. The panel considered regulation of heterosexual liaisons between consenting partners, and promulgation of formal sanctions to ensure compliance, to be undesirable. It was also considered undesirable to preclude married couples from membership on the same space crew. The panel did, however, recognize the need to have some sort of social control over sexual activity and they opted for development of informal norms that are subject to informal sanctions exercised by other members of the worker crew. Panel members recognized the undesirability of long periods of separation from families on Earth as on-orbit duty tours become longer, but they treated it as having no undesirable side-effects and favoured efforts and facilities to ameliorate individual problems wherever possible. Desirable actions include maximization of efforts to keep married couples on the same crew with the same rotational schedule, easy access to communications links with families on Earth, scheduling activities so that workers having only minimal time to think about their personal problems, and financial compensation that is sufficiently high to induce workers to endure separation from families on Earth. As the total work force in space becomes large and as fractional crew rotation becomes routine, it is likely that permission screening will become less exacting and that an unknowingly pregnant woman will be transported to a space station. It is also likely that conception in space will ultimately occur. The panel thought that it was
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==