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What does space smell like?
Astronauts returning to the space station’s confines after a space walk have described the lingering aroma on their suits as everything from “hot metal” to “seared steak.”
“It is hard to describe,” says astronaut Don Pettit, not as easy as “describing the palette sensations of some new food as ‘tastes like chicken.’” His best effort: “A rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation.” Another astronaut, Thomas Jones, describes it as a “distinct odor of ozone” that’s also “sulfurous.” Confusing matters, recent studies have shown that a giant dust cloud residing at the heart of our galaxy is made of ethyl formate, which which gives raspberries their flavor and smells, some say, like rum. (Perhaps deep space smells “like a fruity summer cocktail,” ventures Veronique Greenwood at Discover Magazine.)
