What Does Space Smell Like?
Channel: New York Hall Of Science
Date: 26/09/2016

Ever wondered what outer space may smell like? Well now we have a pretty good idea, thanks to astronauts!

We all know what the air smells like after it rains... but have you ever wondered what outer space smells like? 
Well, Space smells pretty funny, according to astronauts.  Many of them say it has a smell similar to seared meat and hot metals! Some even say they smell like freshly baked cookies.
But why would space smell like meat or cookies? 
Well, there’s a huge amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in space, and these smell like burnt coal or ash!
But what are hydrocarbons? They’re the chief components of natural gases, and its made up of only hydrogen and carbon chains, as the name suggests, and they’re found in meteors. They’re also found in things like oil and steak, which would explain why astronomers would compare it to foods they’ve had here on Earth! 
But one thing to note is that astronauts haven’t actually directly smelled outer space... because they would have to remove their suits, and the lack of air in outer space would kill them!
However, when they return from being outside of the spaceship, astronauts have said their suits and tools smell like a lot of different things. For example, legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin said that the smell of space is “similar to the ashes that are in a fireplace”. This is what space smells like, according to other astronauts. 
Alexander Gerst - like walnuts and brake pads of motorcycles,
Donald Pettit - the smells produced by welding,
Arnaud Belloche - rum(alcohol),
Anousheh Ansari - burnt almond cookies,
Astronomers told chemist Steve Pearce that it smelled of seared steak and hot metal.

Clearly, the smell of space is all subjective! 
The reasoning for all of these very different responses all goes back to the elements in space, which gives it aromatic qualities. Outer space is plentiful in carbon atoms and very low in oxygen atoms, giving it that smoky smell, which would explain why the majority of people who visited space compared it to things with sooty smells, like burnt food.
If we are looking at specific planets, Harrison Schmitt has claimed that the moon smells like gunpowder, while astronomers predict that Venus and Mars would smell like rotten eggs because of its rich content of sulfur.
And Uranus, ironically, would be practically odorless since it is mainly made up of hydrogen and helium atoms.
So although astronauts have not directly been able to take a whiff of the various smells of space, we do now know that it may smell a lot like a home-cooked meal!
Want to learn more about outer space? Come check out the astronomy section at NYSCI and have lots of fun exploring how these planets actually look up close! Thanks for watching, bye!

Producer: Mariel
TALENT/VOICE OVER: Mariel
CAM A: Jenny Huang 
EDITOR: Emily & Mariel
DIRECTOR: Kevin Cunningham