The coronavirus lockdown has made us appreciate something we may have taken for granted pre-pandemic.

Personal space.

But have you ever wondered, what does space smell like?

Physical distancing doesn’t have a scent – but according to astronauts, the up-there-in-the-sky kind of space has a distinctive odour.

It’s kind of smoky and a little harsh, bitter-smelling.’’

Peggy Whitson, an astronaut and former resident of the International Space Station, told CNN in a 2002 interview. 

Omega Ingredients has taken the words of an astronaut and bottled them.

The resulting perfume is called Eau de Space.

“Decades ago, NASA designed a fragrance to train astronauts on how Outer Space actually smells. Now we’re releasing it to the world,” says the Eau de Space Kickstarter page.

Inspired as a training scent for astronauts, now earthlings will be able to smell like they’ve just taken a hike through the Milky Way.

Eau de Space product manager Matt Richmond told CNN that he struggles to describe how the fragrance actually smells, adding, “Astronauts describe the smell as a mix of gunpowder, seared steak, raspberries and rum.”

And honestly, who doesn’t want to smell smoky, harsh and bitter, as if they’ve just been fired from a cannon– if that’s what space smells like?

If nothing else, it could help in the pursuit of physical distance.

Finally, some much-needed space.