It's one of the most common questions astronauts get asked — and one of the most surprising to answer. Space, it turns out, has a smell. A strong one.
"Seared steak, hot metal, and welding fumes"
Astronauts can't smell space directly, of course. In the vacuum of space, exposing your nose to the environment would be a very bad idea. But when astronauts return from a spacewalk and remove their helmets inside the airlock, they consistently report a distinct odor clinging to their suits, gloves, and tools.
Three-time spacewalker Thomas Jones described it as "a distinct odor of ozone, an acrid smell." NASA astronaut Don Pettit was more vivid: "a rather pleasant, sweet metallic sensation... like sweet-smelling welding fumes." Others have compared it to seared steak, gunpowder, hot metal, burnt almond cookies, and even raspberries and rum.
Why does space smell at all?
The leading explanation involves atomic oxygen. In low Earth orbit, single oxygen atoms cling to spacesuit fabrics and equipment. When astronauts repressurize the airlock, these atoms react with the air, producing an ozone-like, metallic odor. Another theory points to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — combustion-like compounds found throughout the universe, from dying stars to charred food.
How NASA bottled the smell of space
Decades ago, NASA contracted fragrance chemist Steve Pearce to recreate the smell of space based on astronaut accounts — so trainees wouldn't be caught off guard by it in orbit. That formulation stayed inside training programs for years, until a team brought it to the public through a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $600,000 from more than 13,000 backers and was covered by CNN, BBC, NPR, and Reuters.
The result is Eau de Space – The Smell of Space, a wearable 100 mL fragrance based on the scent developed from those astronaut descriptions.
Related questions
Does the Moon smell different from space? Yes — Apollo astronauts described lunar dust as smelling like spent gunpowder. Experience it with Eau de Luna.
Can I smell it without going to orbit? That's the idea. Try Eau de Space