>> WHITE SANDS TEST FACILITY
CONDUCTS ODOR TESTING
IN ACCORDANCE WITH
NASA STANDARD 6001.
ODOR ASSESSMENT IS
A HUMAN EVALUATION OF ODORS
RELEASED FROM MATERIALS
OR COMPONENTS
DESTINED FOR USE IN
THE HABITABLE AREAS
OF SPACECRAFT.
ODOR TESTING HELPS TO ENSURE
A NEUTRAL ODOR ENVIRONMENT
ONBOARD HABITABLE SPACE VEHICLES
SO THAT OUR MOST
SENSITIVE DETECTOR,
THE ASTRONAUT HUMAN NOSE,
CAN PROVIDE EARLY DETECTION
OF AMMONIA LEAKS AND FIRES
AS WELL AS MINIMIZING
NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM
BOTHERSOME ODORS.
ODOR ASSESSMENT
IS ONLY PERFORMED
AFTER [ INDISTINCT ]
TOXICITY TESTING
HAS VERIFIED THE SAFETY
OF THE GAS MIXTURE.
A CERTIFIED PANEL OF VOLUNTEERS
WHOSE SENSE OF SMELL IS TESTED
TO ENSURE SENSITIVITY
EVALUATES THE ODOR GENERATED
BY A MATERIAL.
EACH ODOR SAMPLE
IS ADMINISTERED INTO
PLASTIC MASKS
WORN BY PANEL MEMBERS
WHO RATE THE ODOR POTENCY
AND QUALITY.
ODOR TESTING IS ALSO CONDUCTED
TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF ODOR CONTAINMENT HARDWARE,
SUCH AS TRASH
AND URINE CONTAINMENT BAGS.