Announcements / ASRI in the news
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22 April 2024
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ASRI Director and Chief of Research to Speak at 2024 International Space Development Conference
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Dr. Alex Layendecker, ASRI Director, and Dr. Carmen Messerlian, ASRI Chief of Research, will be featured at the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) on Thursday, 23 March 2024. Their presentation, "Securing Future Generations in Outer Space: Addressing the Indispensable Science of Sexual Reproduction in Off-Earth Environments" will be featured under the Space Health track on the opening day of the conference. You can learn more details about ISDC and the Space Health presentation lineup here.
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10 February 2024
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ASRI Advisory Board Member, Dr. Shawna Pandya, and Research Fellow Dr. Simon Dubé Featured on Scientific American's "Science, Quickly" Podcast
Dr. Shawna Pandya, ASRI advisory board member and researcher, and Research Fellow Dr. Simon Dube, psychologist and sexologist, were featured together in an interview with Scientific American, during a short but lighthearted and informative discussion on sex in space and how it might occur in the future. A recording of their joint interview can be accessed here.
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23 January 2024
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ASRI Director to Participate in Humanity in Deep Space "Reproduction in Space Panel", 25 January
Dr. Alex Layendecker will join Dr. Egbert Edelbroek, CEO of SpaceBorn United Inc., and Dr. Scott Solomon, author and evolutionary biologist, for an online video forum discussing reproduction factors in space from 1 - 2 PM US Eastern Time on Thursday, 25 January 2024, with moderator Kris Kimel of Humanity in Deep Space. The forum will be open format with questions posed by viewers and discussion around the most significant factors that must be addressed in the near future. You can register for the free event on Eventbrite here.
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18 November 2023
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Dr. Alex Layendecker and Dr. Shawna Pandya Deliver Sex in Space Presentation for 2023 New Worlds Conference​
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Drs. Alex Layendecker and Shawna Pandya of ASRI co-presented on the facets of sex and reproduction in space for a curious and engaging crowd at the New Worlds 2023 Conference in Austin, Texas, today. The fireside-chat style presentation discussed topics such as the approaching risks of uncontrolled conception in the space tourism industry, the lagging rate of research on reproduction in space, and also featured Drs. Egbert Edelbroek and Marta Ferraz, CEO and CRO of Spaceborn United Inc.
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11 November 2023
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ASRI Director Featured as Guest on "SpaceRox" Podcast with Roxy Brown and Gonzalo Martin
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Dr. Alex Layendecker joined the SpaceRox Podcast, based in the United Kingdom, with hosts Roxy Brown and Gonzalo Martin, a European Space Agency researcher, to discuss human sexuality and relationship factors, as well as reproduction challenges in outer space. The episode, titled "Exploring the Final Frontier of Intimacy: Sex and Reproduction in Space" featured a relaxed but informative conversation on many of the issues ASRI is currently researching. You can listen to a recording of the conversation here.
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20 October 2023
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ASRI Mission Featured on iRoc Space Radio's "The Space Revolution" with Rick Tumlinson
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Dr. Alex Layendecker discussed ASRI and its mission today on iRoc Space Radio, during an interview for Episode #24 of "The Space Revolution" radio-podcast hosted by prominent NewSpace industry leader Rick Tumlinson, founder of groundbreaking space organizations such as Deep Space Industries, SpaceFund, Space Frontier Foundation, New Worlds Institute, and Earthlight Foundation. The pair discussed reproductive biology, challenges to the human reproductive cycle, and research organizations such as ASRI and SpaceBorn United Inc. You can listen to a recording of the episode here.
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12 September 2023
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ASRI Featured on SpaceWatch.Global's "Space Café Podcast" with SpaceBorn United Inc.
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Just released: Interview of ASRI Director, Dr. Alex Layendecker, and CEO of SpaceBorn United Inc., Dr. Egbert Edelbroek, recorded back in March during their conference visit at SXSW 2023. Podcast host Markus Mooslechner asks questions about some of the more fascinating aspects of sex in outer space, whether or not it has already occurred, and what the next steps might be toward a successful "cosmic coupling." You can listen to the full conversation here.
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20 August 2023
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ASRI Director to be Featured Guest on "The Space Show" Radio Program on 27 August 2023
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Dr. Alex Layendecker will be speaking with Dr. David Livingston as a guest on "The Space Show" radio and internet broadcast on Sunday, 27 August 2023, to discuss the scientific considerations of human sexual activity in space, as well as the recent green paper released on concerns of uncontrolled conception in emerging space tourism. The discussion will happen live, beginning at 3 PM US Eastern Standard time that day. You can listen to the episode here.
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03 July 2023
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ASRI Director Interviewed by John Jossy of Space Settlement Progress
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ASRI was featured in an interview published today by Space Settlement Progress chief author John Jossy. The interview discussed physiological issues surrounding reproduction in space environments, known challenges, the RADIO-EE Scale, and included a review of what "gravity prescription" might be required for reproduction to viably succeed in off-Earth locales such as Mars. You can read the full conversation between Mr. Jossy and ASRI's Director Alex Layendecker here.
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28 May 2023
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ASRI Featured During LaunchPad Track at 2023 International Space Development Conference
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Dr. Alex Layendecker spoke as a member of the 2023 LaunchPad Track at the International Space Development Conference sponsored by the National Space Society, in Dallas, Texas on Sunday. ISDC's LaunchPad is modeled to resemble "TED talks for space", and featured a diversity of speakers and pertinent topics. Dr. Layendecker's presentation discussed the urgent need for humanity to commit to research on reproduction and sexuality in space environments and an overview of ASRI and its mission, as well as those of several ASRI mission partners.
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30 April 2023
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Dr. Alex Layendecker Featured as Repeat Guest on "Sex Nerd Podcast" with Dr. Victoria Hartmann
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ASRI Director Dr. Alex Layendecker was featured for his second appearance on Dr. Victoria Hartmann's "Sex Nerd Podcast" to discuss the recently released space tourism green paper, SXSW, and ongoing ASRI developments, as well as the future of the commercial space industry. Dr. Hartmann is a clinical/forensic sexologist, Director of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, and serves on the ASRI advisory board. You can watch the full interview at this link.
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28 April 2023
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Space Tourism Green Paper Press Release Gains Traction Among News Outlets
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Multiple scientific and mainstream news organizations have released articles covering the jointly sponsored Green Paper, "Sex in Space: Consideration of uncontrolled human conception in emerging space tourism" to include outlets such as Futurism, Interesting Engineering, and Phys.org. ASRI Director Dr. Alex Layendecker is featured in many of the pieces alongside his colleagues.
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28 April 2023
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ASRI Director Hosts Industry Feedback Session for Recent Green Paper at the Space Tourism Conference in Los Angeles, California
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Dr. Alex Layendecker hosted a feedback and review session for the recently released Green Paper, "Sex in Space: Consideration of uncontrolled human conception in emerging space tourism" at the 2023 Space Tourism conference today. The event was held to capture input from professionals and business leaders in the rapidly developing space tourism industry, for refinement of later drafts of the paper and potential follow-ons. The session lasted just over an hour and featured multiple co-authors joining by teleconference to answer questions from attendees, to include first author Professor David Cullen, who led the discussion.
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26 April 2023
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"Sex in Space: Consideration of uncontrolled human conception in emerging space tourism" Green Paper Mentioned on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
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Late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel mentioned the recent space tourism paper jointly released by Cranfield University, SpaceBorn United Inc. and ASRI during his Wednesday evening opening monologue, gaining the paper exposure on a nationally televised program. You can view the monologue at this link.
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24 April 2023
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JOINT PRESS RELEASE WITH CRANFIELD UNIVESITY AND SPACEBORN UNITED INC.:
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Dr. David Cullen, Professor of Astrobiology & Space Biotechnology at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, has released a preliminary draft green paper in collaboration with both ASRI and SpaceBorn United Inc., "Sex in Space: Consideration of uncontrolled human conception in emerging space tourism" for public consultation.
The paper will be presented as part of a side panel workshop at the Space Tourism Conference (STC) in Los Angeles, California on Friday, April 28th, 2023, to receive industry feedback from conference participants. ASRI Director Dr. Alex Layendecker served as one the paper's coauthors and will run the STC workshop. A downloadable copy of the current draft is now available at this link.​
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17 April 2023
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ASRI Director Presents at SXSW 2023
ASRI Director Dr. Alex Layendecker recently represented the institute at the world-renowned SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, acting as moderator for the featured scientific panel "Sex in Space: Sex & Reproduction Beyond Earth" under SXSW's 2050 Track.
The panel guests were Shawna Pandya, MD, citizen-scientist, astronaut candidate and emergency medicine physician, Egbert Edelbroek, PhD, CEO of SpaceBorn United Inc., and Simon Dubé, PhD, psychologist, sexologist, and Kinsey Institute research fellow.
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Journalist L. Wundrock covered the event for Grey Journal, which you can view at this link.