Among the thousands of jobs at NASA, one stands out as the strangest job ever: a man whose work consists of smelling everything that is sent into space. Despite the oddity of the job, it plays an important role in protecting astronauts and ensuring the success of their missions.

One such person is George Aldrich, a chemist who has spent more than 40 years at the agency. He volunteers for NASA's panel on smells, which tests the smell of tools and materials before they are sent to the International Space Station (ISS).

George Aldrich explained that the mission of NASA's panel on smells is to ensure that materials entering the habitable areas of the ISS do not have unpleasant or disturbing odors that could cause nausea for astronauts. He noted that the closed environment in space makes dealing with any smell very difficult.

It’s not just about smelling the materials; members of the panel undergo regular tests to ensure their sense of smell is functioning properly, and they conduct “blind smell” tests without knowing the identity of the material so that their evaluation isn't influenced by any preconceived notions. After that, five volunteers give each material a rating between 0 and 4, and any material that scores more than 2.5 is rejected and not allowed to be sent into space.

According to NASA, all materials designated for the habitable areas of the International Space Station are examined before being sent. This is because unpleasant or strong odors can cause nausea in astronauts and affect their productivity during missions. The agency explains that the closed environment inside the station makes it impossible to eliminate odors, and that saturation of the sense of smell may reduce the ability of astronauts to detect dangerous warning smells such as smoke or ammonia leaks. Therefore, the human nose remains the most sensitive detection method in these cases.

Despite the accuracy of these tests, some materials have passed them. Aldrich recalls one of the most famous incidents when the components of Velcro strips passed individual tests, but after being assembled and sent to the International Space Station, a strong and disturbing odor was emitted as soon as they were opened, registering 3.6 and 3.8 on the smell scale.

NASA's reliance on smell tests dates back to after the Apollo 1 disaster in 1967, which claimed the lives of three astronauts during a launch test on Earth. After the accident, the agency tightened safety procedures and imposed a series of mandatory tests for all materials, including flammability, toxicity, and odor, before they were approved for use in space missions.

During his career, Aldrich conducted more than 800 scent tests, an achievement that earned him the Silver Snoopy award, one of NASA’s highest honors for employees who contribute to flight safety. He also appeared in Stan Lee’s Superhumans series, confirming that he entered this field not because he had a super sense of smell, but by chance after joining NASA facilities following his high school graduation.