Michaël Moisseeff, a doctor in biotechnology from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, is passionate about olfactory creation. Nicknamed the “sculptor of odors”, he dared to create a perfume with the smell of the moon. Unfortunately for him, the result did not please. Indeed, the smell is considered nauseating and repulsive.
The smell of the moon, an enigma solved
To recreate the smell of the moon, Michael Moisseeff turned to the memories of astronauts who set foot on the natural satellite. Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke and Gene Cernan each described a different smell. Aldrin spoke of the smell of burnt charcoal, Duke of gunpowder and Cernan of something metallic.
Michaël Moisseeff used black powder in his laboratory and, after several attempts to mix it with other elements, he obtained a particular odor, with metallic, carbonaceous and sulfurous notes. This olfactory creation can be discovered in an exhibition called Cité de l'Espace, at the Museum of Toulouse.
The mysterious identity of the smell of the moon
If the smell of the moon remains an enigma, legends circulate about it. Xavier Pernot, scientific communicator, noted that the odor reminds that of the gunpowder or the ash of chimney. It is certain that the lunar dust impregnated the suits of the astronauts, allowing them to smell this odor when returning to Earth in the spacecraft.
In summary, the smell of the moon remains mysterious, but Michaël Moisseeff succeeded in creating a particular smell from the memories of the astronauts. If the perfume with the smell of the moon is currently available at the Cité de l'Espace, it has not aroused the craze. It remains to be seen whether Michaël Moisseeff will market it. And you, would you buy a perfume that smells like the moon?
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