The other day, I read with great interest an article about the smell of the cosmos. It was described as an odor of iron, which was reportedly detected by an astronaut when he entered the airlock. Experts explained that it was presumably emitted from iron particles that had been generated around the Sun and spread by the solar wind. The article provided some other explanations, but this phenomenon has changed my recognition that outer space is a void where no substances exist. It also made me realize that the cosmic space possibly contains various fine materials.

I think what we experience through the five senses can be recognized as something real. After reading the story about the smell of the cosmos, I became able to feel closer to outer space though it had remained something unfamiliar in my life. A sense of smell is a sensory organ, but it’s sometimes used figuratively in a situation where people sense something unusual in their surrounding environments. This story presumably illustrates humans’ ability to sense what’s happening around them by using their sensory organs.

I fully understand the convenience provided by the latest tools. On the other hand, however, I sometimes get the impression that more and more tools are designed to work without using unnecessary parts of the human senses. I think that’s because they have been developed with their focus solely on senses required for fulfilling their functions. So much so that I was impressed by the fact that seemingly incidental use of the smell played an important role in the cutting-edge field of space development.

The story of the smell of the cosmos has brought me an idea that the interaction of five senses and their development will help to deepen our understandings of various things.

Takeshi Umemoto

Digital Strategic Dept.

Unit Leader