Space smells: What astronauts really notice!

Space smells: What astronauts really notice!

During spacewalks, astronauts report a surprising and intense smell that has lingered in their spacesuits and tools. These experiences make it possible to put the smell of space into words. Astronauts describe it as a mixture of burnt metal, welding fumes, gunpowder and ozone. This combination is referred to as the "smell of space", although the vacuum of space is actually odorless because there is no air to transport scent molecules, as previously reported by oe24.at.

The unique scent is created when high-energy atoms and particles react with surfaces of spacesuits or spacecraft. When returning to the airlock, these particles encounter oxygen, which releases chemical compounds and produces the characteristic smell. Astronauts like Matthias Maurer, who spent 177 days on the International Space Station (ISS), have described the smell as comparable to sparklers at Christmas time. His spacesuit smelled of this special scent when he returned to Earth, which shaped his memories of these extraterrestrial experiences, as futurezone.de reports.

The different scents of the planets

The different planets in the solar system also have their own distinctive scents. Venus smells intensely of sulfur and rotten eggs, while Mars is associated with iron oxide and dust. On Earth, however, the smells of rain, vegetation and life are common. Saturn's moon Titan may even smell of gasoline and chemical fumes. This shows that the chemistry of our neighboring celestial bodies is complex and fascinating.

NASA attempted to capture the smell of space in “Eau de Space” in 2020 to better prepare astronauts for their upcoming missions. Astronaut Chris Hadfield explained that the smell of space may not smell exactly like fried steak or sparklers, but rather is a complex interplay of metal traces and chemical reactions that are inescapable to the astronautical senses.

Chemical processes in space

Furthermore, the chemistry of space is as complex as it is fascinating. Interstellar space is extremely cold and dark, with temperatures between 10 and 100 Kelvin. The density of matter here is up to 1,000 trillion times lower than on Earth. However, amazing chemical processes occur in this space that have produced more than 260 different molecules, including alcohols, aldehydes and acids, exploring the possibility of organic molecules in cold, dark environments.

Researchers are putting forward interesting theories about how these molecules are formed. A distinction is made between the top-down approach, in which larger molecules are broken down, and the bottom-up approach, in which smaller precursors react to form larger compounds. These chemical processes can occur under extreme conditions that would not be possible according to classical physics, and raise questions about the origin of life and the associated molecules that have been discovered in the universe, as explained

Overall, the smell of space is not only a fascinating subject for astronauts, but also an indication of the complex and diverse chemistry that exists in the vastness of the universe. Researching and understanding these scents can teach us a lot about the nature of space and perhaps even life itself.