03. Is there any material testing done prior to launch? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

All materials used in confined spaces like the NASA Space Shuttle or the ISS or even Navy submarines must undergo thorough scrutiny for safety through special off-gassing testing at the White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) Molecular Desorption and Analysis Laboratory (MDAL) in New Mexico. Once standard materials are subjected to use in confined air spaces, the indoor quality of air can degrade if materials slowly give off toxic gases over a period of time. There are also specially trained people who odor-test all materials that will be used on board the ISS to prevent annoying odors from accumulating and causing crew performance issues in space. NASA assigns a specialist to serve as a 'master sniffer' of all items transported into space.

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Answer provided by James Zebrowski

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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