Astronauts reveal space’s distinct smell
- Smell in space is probably one of the last sensory elements you considered
- However astronauts describe a distinct odor
- And there’s science that can explain their experience
Published on Jan 03, 2024 at 7:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 03, 2024 at 9:02 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
You might have thought about the stunning and unparalleled views from outer space – or even the eerie silence of the vacuum – but what you may never have considered is space’s distinct smell.
Those who know best – the astronauts who have actually been up there – have described space as having a distinct odor.
To be clear, nobody has smelt the near-perfect vacuum of space directly and lived to report back on its olfactory notes.
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From the scorching surface of the sun, to atmospheres that rain sand – space travel is pretty risky and can take its toll on the human body.
“Direct exposure would, of course, kill them,” Ofek Birnholtz, an astrophysicist at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, told Live Science.
Astronauts are, however, able to report back on a unique scent that lingers on their space suits upon removing their protective helmet once safely back beyond the airlock doors of ISS or another craft.
While this faint and indirect aroma doesn’t allow them to report back on precise top and base notes – the smell of space is said to be a complex one.
“It is hard to describe this smell; it is definitely not the olfactory equivalent to describing the palette sensations of some new food as ‘tastes like chicken’,” NASA astronaut, Don Pettit, told Space.com.
He had just returned from a mission in 2003.
“The best description I can come up with is metallic; a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation.
“It reminded me of my college summers where I labored for many hours with an arc welding torch repairing heavy equipment for a small logging outfit.
“It reminded me of pleasant sweet smelling welding fumes. That is the smell of space.”
Meanwhile, former NASA astronaut, Thomas Jones, compared the odor to ozone.
Biochemist and CEO of Omega Ingredients, Steve Pearce, combed through astronaut interviews to help him craft a NASA-commissioned scent.
Overall, astronauts often compare the smell of space to “hot metal, burnt meat, burnt cakes, spent gunpowder and welding of metal,” he said.
It’s thought the metallic note may come from high-energy vibrations of ions.
However, another theory suggests that oxidation could be behind it.
When astronauts come back to their spaceship and the airlock re-pressurizes, a chemical reaction occurs, according to How Stuff Works.
Oxygen atoms in space attach to their suits and mix with the atmosphere on the spacecraft.
Oxygen atoms combining to form atmospheric oxygen (O2), could cause the smoky, charred odor.
It’s like the smell of combustion, without the flames and smoke.
Then, there’s a theory which revolves around stellar explosions over the billions of years the universe has existed.
When stars go out, they do so with a bang.
In doing so they create compounds called ‘polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ (PAHs).
These PAHs exist on earth in coal, tobacco and the food we eat – and so could be behind the burnt note.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
