Space sex-machines: trans-planetary ethics and the mediatization of things

The progressive incorporation of devices, infrastructures, and interfaces in the communications ecosystems has provoked a transformation in the research fields too. Mediatization research for instance has started to incorporate data infrastructures, deep mediatization, and robots in the theoretical discussion. This paper roots in this trend by suggesting a field on mediatization of things that encompasses three areas: the considerations on human-machine assemblages, the entanglements at planetary scale of the material and environmental costs of connection, and the discussion about care and humanity as fundamental kin relational values. These three dimensions overlap, interact, and activate profound and critical ethical debates necessary to contribute to the discussions on long-duration space exploration, affective relations with machines, and for inter-species planet reproduction. Sex-machines are at the centre of these human-caring-beings and inter-planetary-networks; in this research we study the six types of sex-machines against the space-travelling conditions. This contribution reveals the urgency of establishing the field of Space Robot Ethics, including the discussion of Mediatized Intimacies and sexuality in space. This paper illustrates that robots and sex-machines are complex multi-agent networks of distributed responsibility; and reviewing the governance of their designs, and threat modelling their ethical and safety and security features not only anticipates more pleasant outer space travels, but also helps preparing for an earthy life with robots.