Did you know that the Moon dust smells and tastes like gunpowder? The Apollo astronauts who landed on the Moon gave just such a description: “It is really a strong smell,” Apollo 16 pilot Charlie Duke radioed to Houston. “It has that taste — to me, [of] gunpowder — and the smell of gunpowder, too.” Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan said, “smells like someone just fired a carbine in here.”
Not only did it smell like gunpowder but it caused nasal congestion in some of the astronauts. Oddly enough, scientists back on earth who analyzed lunar samples could not detect any such odor. It is theorized that a chemical reaction due to the moist oxygen-rich enforcement of the Lunar Lander likely caused the smell, and, once that took place, there would no longer be any odor here on Earth.
Here are some other fun facts about Lunar dust:
It wears through spacesuits- Moondust is very abrasive and it clings to everything, Apollo 17 astronauts had problems moving in their space suits because lunar dust “clogged up” the joints. It actually wore through three layers of Kevlar on astronaut Harrison Schmitt’s moon boot.
It is primarily made of glass- Moondust is mostly composed of very fine particles of silicon dioxide glass, along with iron, calcium and magnesium, and other trace minerals. Billions of years of meteorite impacts.has ground it into a fine powder.
You should not breathe in moon dust- This should be obvious due to its composition (and the previous 2 facts). According to NASA pathologist Russell Kerschmann, prolonged exposure to Moon dust could seriously damage human lungs.
It is magnetic- Since tiny particles of iron are present in the glass outer layer of each lunar dust particle, magnets can be utilized to filter the dust out of the air and sensitive equipment. Interestingly, lunar dust can also be quickly microwaved into flat sheets, which means that roads and landing pads could be constructed for future Moon missions.
