Astronauts describe the smell of outer space as similar to hot metal, welding fumes, gunpowder, burnt electrical equipment, and even seared steak. The scent is strongest after spacewalks and is thought to be the result of a reaction between particles from space and oxygen from spacesuits.
Astronauts have said that outer space smells like hot metal, with a variety of specific descriptions depending on the opinions of different astronauts. Recorded responses among astronauts are that outer space smells like welding fumes, gunpowder, burnt electrical equipment, and even seared steak. After the 2009 discovery of a cloud of dust made of ethyl formate, astronauts noticed that the smell was similar to rum. Astronauts generally report that the distinctive smell of space is strongest once they take off their spacesuits after performing spacewalks; thus, the scent is thought to be the result of the reaction between particles from outer space and the oxygen from the space suits.
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