NASA brings the smell of outer space to Earth

A fragrance that smells like outer space may soon be made available to the general public.

The smell of space

According to CNN, a Kickstarter was recently launched for a new fragrance called Eau de Space to bring the smell of outer space back down to Earth. The fragrance was reportedly created to help astronauts get used to the smell of space.

“NASA’s goal of simulating space during training is to eliminate any surprises astronauts might experience in outer space,” states the official Kickstarter page. “Practice makes perfect, and it is rocket science. The smell of space has been locked behind “need to know”, astronaut only field training, and red tape for years.

“Through sheer determination, grit, a lot of luck, and a couple of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, we got it out. We’ve all had space ice cream…this takes it a step further. Now we need your help to mass manufacturer it so that everyone can experience the smell of space for themselves.”

Eau de Space

The fragrance was developed by Steve Pearce, according to Eau de Space product manager Matt Richmond. Pearce is a chemist and the founder of Omega Ingredients, a company focused on the “creation of the highest quality, provenance driven, natural flavours and ingredients for the food and beverage industry,” its website says. It took him approximately four years to develop the fragrance in question.

“It’s kind of like a smell from a gun, right after you fire the shot,” Peggy Whitson, an astronaut and former resident of the International Space Station, told CNN in a 2002 interview about the smell of space. “I think it kind of has almost a bitter kind of smell in addition to being smoky and burned.”

Richmond said that he has struggled to describe how the fragrance smells, adding, “Astronauts describe the smell as a mix of gunpowder, seared steak, raspberries and rum”.

The company’s main goal with Eau de Space is to increase interest in STEM learning for K-12 students through what Richmond called “experiential education.” He hopes that Eau de Space will start the discussion, with parents, teachers and scientists taking it from there.

Richmond revealed that they are looking into releasing a fragrance called Smell of the Moon based on the excitement around Eau de Space.