Video: NASA's E-Nose Knows How to Keep Air Clean Aboard the ISS
![](https://cdn.nextgov.com/media/img/cd/2016/12/29/122916nasaissNG/860x394.jpg?1627520212)
NASA
Sniffing out problems in low-Earth orbit.
In space, no one can open a window to let in some fresh air. The International Space Station has been in orbit for 16 years. That's a lot of time for bacteria, fungi and other microbes to sprout in the enclosed environment. Luckily, NASA has developed a device to monitor the air aboard ISS, known as the Electronic Nose.
"E-Nose is a device we've built that can go around and detect in different areas microbial content," said Anna Grinberg, a systems engineer for microgravity payloads at Airbus. "It's interesting from a scientific standpoint. We can look at the flora and fauna of the space station and see how it's changing."
The E-Nose technology was developed with support from private companies who use the technology in hospitals and other Earth-bound environments.
To learn more, check out the video below from NASA: