Stink Sniffer.

From space-bound objects to stinky sneaks, this man smells it all.

For the last 27 years, George Aldrich has been sticking his nose in the strangest things: refrigerators, socks, toothpaste, even toys. Aldrich is a volunteer sniffer. He smells objects that ride in space capsules with astronauts to make sure there are no foul odors. "I've accumulated 733 sniffs--more than any other NASA sniffer," says Aldrich.

NASA began sniff-testing objects in the 1970s after a group of Soviet cosmonauts cut short a space mission because of a toxic odor in their space capsule.

Before Aldrich's nose smells anything, the object is placed in an oven for 72 hours to speed up the offgassing, or release of odor. An object's odor grows stronger on a space shuttle because it is a warm, confined space.

Aldrich's talent recently led him to a side job as a judge for Rotten Sneaker contests, sponsored by Odor-Eaters, a company that makes products to fight smelly feet.

"I ask the kid to put his best foot forward," Aldrich says. "Then I lean over and smell the kid's shoe."

So what's it take to be a stink sniffer? Just a healthy nose, says Aldrich. "Before each sniff test, my nose is certified by a nurse."

* NASA doesn't pay Aldrich, but his "nosey" talents make space more enjoyable for the astronauts.