What does outer space smell like? You’re about to find out with the NASA-developed Eau de Space

Think of a gentlemen’s fragrance that defines generations of alpha males and you’ll summon the likes of Christian Dior’s Eau Sauvage, Chanel’s Pour Monsieur, Guerlain’s Vetiver, Ralph Lauren’s Polo for Men, Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet and Tom Ford’s Noir. But what would you wear in space? At the rate the Chinese National Space Administration, NASA and Elon Musk are launching missions to Mars, as well as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic for suborbital spaceflights, it’s a valid question. On the flip side, what does space smell like? 

A fragrance that smells like outer space, Eau de Space, will soon be made available to the public, a decade after first being developed to help astronauts adjust to the aromas of a world beyond. Typically, astronauts experience a high G-force centrifuge simulator for blast-off training, carry out extreme underwater training in zero-G weightlessness to prepare for when they reach outer space, and learn what to expect for everything in-between.

As part of its goal of simulated space training that eliminates any surprises astronauts might experience in outer space, NASA asked a specialist in 2008 to develop the “smell of space” to help prepare them. The man they contracted was British chemist, perfumer and Omega Ingredients founder Steve Pearce, and it took him four years to concoct his otherworldly potion. 

The history of the “smell of space” has been chronicled, but not often discussed. However, ever since the first spacewalk, astronauts were shocked by the lingering odour when returning back to the spacecraft. Some describe it as gunpowder, rum, fruit, seared steak, raspberries or a barbecue. The first space tourists also noted a pungent aroma once the hatch opened, describing it as smelling “like burnt cookies”. 

Retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, a former resident of the International Space Station, said in 2002 after her return to Earth that space smelled “kind of like a smell from a gun right after you fire the shot”. She elaborated: “I think it kind of has almost a bitter kind of smell, in addition to being smoky and burnt.” 

Of the 12 astronauts to have walked on the surface of the moon, many have described a smoky fragrance to the lunar dust deposited on their suits after returning to the capsule. Interestingly, once back on Earth, moon dust loses its bouquet, as our planet’s atmosphere neutralises its gunpowdery tendencies. If you thought your Tom Ford Noir was the coolest dude on the block, wait until you inhale the bespoke scent of Eau de Space.

Image provided to China Daily

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