The man who sniffs spacecraft
Why George Aldrich’s nose is so important to Nasa’s success
Nasa has a volunteer panel of 25 people whose job is to smell items before they are sent into space. The man leading this group is George Aldrich. After 45 years on the panel, Aldrich’s nostrils have completed more than 900 odour tests for the agency (his closest rival has only reached the 600s). It’s a role that’s earned him nicknames ranging from ‘Nasa’s Chief Sniffer’ to ‘Nostrildamus’.