No Bad Breath in Space?

I got a kick out of reading the headline to this article the other:

Astronauts wanted – no bad breath
Would-be astronauts competing for China’s next space programme must comply with 100 rules – excluding those with bad breath or a runny nose.

I first found it on the BBC News website and then it started popping up everywhere. After the laugh from the headline, I read the rest of the article, and to be honest, it makes a lot of sense.

Here’s the deal: China is recruiting new astronauts for a new space module next year and they have a list of 100 rules. One of the rules states that any astronauts must not have bad breath. The logic? Astronauts are in very close quarters for a long period of time and they don’t want stinky breath to ruin the experience.

You can check out the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8180480.stm.

Time for me to put in a call to China and let them know about our free breath spray offer!

Dr. Marvin