GabyWhen astronauts return to the ISS after a spacewalk, they often describe an unexpected smell. It is associated with burnt steak, spent gunpowder, and hot metal. But why does space smell like that?
While there, astronauts are protected by the walls of spacecraft, stations, and spacesuits. Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t survive, noted Ofek Birnholz, an astrophysicist from Bar-Ilan University (Israel). Thus, no one could directly experience the smell of space.
However, upon returning from their excursions into open space, astronauts regularly experience a unique smell after removing their spacesuits. Their colleagues on the station also notice this smell, writes Live Science .
“Space definitely has a smell,” confirmed Dominic Anthony Antonelli, a NASA astronaut. He went on a spacewalk in 2009.
In general, astronauts often compare the smell of space to “hot metal, burnt meat, or pastries, along with burnt gunpowder and welding metal.” This was shared by Steve Pearce, a biochemist and CEO of Omega Ingredients.
Meanwhile, former astronaut Thomas Jones compared the smell to ozone. His colleague Don Pettit described the smell of space in detail on NASA’s blog as “pleasant, sweet, metallic.” “It reminded me of a summer spent in college, where I worked for many hours with an arc welding torch, repairing heavy equipment for a small logging company. The pleasant welding smoke had a sweet smell. That is the smell of space.”
Where is this smell coming from?
In reality, space is not an ideal vacuum, as many believe. “In fact, we are not talking about a space completely devoid of particles,” noted Miranda Nelson, a spacewalk dispatcher from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
There are several possible explanations for this smell. One of them is related to the oxygen floating around the International Space Station. Ultraviolet rays from the Sun can break down oxygen molecules (O2) into individual atoms. According to Ms. Nelson, this atomic oxygen can cling to spacesuits, the walls of airlocks, and other objects present in in space , causing chemical reactions. This explains the smell, for example, of ozone itself.
“Another, much funnier theory is that it’s the smell of star explosions from dying stars,” said the expert. According to her, the emissions from these explosions produce stinky molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are found in coal, food products, oil, and other materials. However, as Ms. Nelson noted, both of these ideas lack official confirmation from researchers.
Extraterrestrial scent
In 2008, in order to provide a more realistic training experience for astronauts, NASA’s management tasked Steve Pearce with creating a scent that mimics the smell of space. The biochemist was encouraged to use descriptions from astronauts. According to him, the goal was to minimize surprises for future conquerors of the universe that they might encounter. in orbit .
In creating the fragrance, Piers did not fly into space or smell spacesuits. Instead, he recreated the scent based on astronauts’ descriptions, using his knowledge of available and safe aromatic materials that could combine to evoke the smell of space.
In 2020, as a result of this research, with the direct assistance of Mr. Pierce, a perfume known as Eau de Space was developed. It became a true bestseller.
