It\u2019s strange to think that the near-vacuum of space
\n could have a smell, and stranger still that humans \u2014 atmospheric
\ncreatures \u2014 can actually experience it. Astronauts have consistently
\nreported the same strange odour after lengthy space walks, bringing it
\nback in on their suits, helmets, gloves and tools. Its bitter, smoky,
\nmetallic smell \u2014 like seared steak, hot metal and arc welding smoke all
\nrolled into one. NASA have asked a chemist, Steve Pearce, to reproduce
\nthe smell to use during acclimatization training, mapping out the likely
\n chemistry using natural materials to mimic the odor for accuracy. It\u2019s
\nbelieved that the smell is caused by high-energy vibrations in particles
\n that mix with the air when brought inside. In the future, we might even
\n recreate the smell of the moon, Mars, Mercury or any place in the
\nuniverse, provided we have the right chemical information. In fact, we
\ncan even recreate the smell of the heart of the galaxy \u2014 astronomers
\nsearching for animo acids in Sagittarius B2, a vast dust cloud in the
\nmiddle of the Milky Way, have reported that due to a substance called
\nethyl formate, it smells and tastes of raspberries and rum \u2014 much more
\npleasant than seared steak and metal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What does space smell like? It\u2019s strange to think that …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12749],"tags":[934,583,1000,392,78,391],"class_list":["post-1899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tumblr","tag-nasa","tag-science","tag-smell","tag-space","tag-technology","tag-universe"],"yoast_head":"\n