What a fantastic question to ask a child, or the child within us all.
The good news is that while no-one has had the first person experience of smelling Mars, that could all change very soon - Elon Musk is hoping to send our first Martian astronauts in as early as 2025, and NASA currently is planning a 2040 mission. Our guess it's likely to be somewhere in between these dates, which means the first person to walk on Mars is probably alive today!
Better news is that you won't have to wait that long to experience it for yourself. We already have a good amount of knowledge about the chemicals in the atmosphere as well as the soil composition. Further, we have been into Space and to the Moon, and therefore have reports of the olfactory sensations those astronauts encountered.
If we put all the pieces of the puzzle together, we think we can recreate something close to what life of Mars will smell like.
Even better news still, is that in #MarsVR, we are putting that knowledge into action, and are offering the ability to smell Mars and everything related to that voyage via a partnership with Peter Sassaman and the team at HapticSol.
MarsVR indiegogo campaign here - https://igg.me/at/marsvr
This is an image of the limited edition Cilia (virtual smells) kit. Each one will be numbered and signed.
And even more fabulous news, if you'd like to experience the delights of a mission to Mars (and other in-game smell experiences), the HapticSol team have partnered with us to ensure you can get the experience at a discount.
While the regular #VirtualSmells set-up (aka #Cilia) goes for $399 + shipping (approx $50), if you purchase as a MarsVR pledge, the price drops to $350 (including shipping) - saving you approximately $100. And this is what you'll get
INCLUDES
Cilia
USB Cable
Power Supply
SDK
Unity Plugin
Unreal Plugin
6 Mars Starter Scents (additional packs available for $30 for pack of 6)
Carrying Case
Software Manual
Shipping & Handling
Finally, if this is a gift for someone contemplating adding smells into your own experience, contact us at marsvr@mxtreality.com as through our partnership with CGA, we'll be offering a guided experience for 50% off for anyone who makes the MarsVR pledge.
Let's get the NASA data onto the computers & VR headsets of everyone everywhere, and let's get the smells integrated for you, schools, museums, and astronauts - the explorers in us all.
Support MarsVR indiegogo campaign here - https://igg.me/at/marsvr