Odours in Space?

The theory is that in space nobody can hear you scream, but apparently you can still smell pretty good.

The International space station went into a lockdown of sorts this morning, as the three astronauts that kind of hold down the fort there discovered a disconcerting odour in the module.

Donning protective gear they raised the alarm, alerted the ground crew to the problem and went about their duties trying to track down the offending smell.

As things turned out it seems that vapors leaking from an oxygen vent were the cause of their distress, described as non threatening, the ventilation system was shut down for a bit while they worked on taking care of the problem.

The crew on the space station has until Wednesday to air out the place before their next batch of space visitors arrive aboard a Soyuz space craft.

The stinky situation developed shortly after the Space Shuttle’s crew of six undocked the Atlantis from the Space Station, in preparation for their return to earth on Wednesday.

There may be a simple answer to the problem, perhaps as a practical joke the space shuttle crew pushed this button before they closed the hatch and cast off...

(Sorry cheap laughs, but hey it’s Monday. You can't be high brow everyday you know …)