Boy, 9, Applies For NASA 'Planetary Protection Officer' Job, Gets Best Rejection Letter

A fourth-grader from New Jersey who described himself as a "Guardian of the Galaxy" might not get the job his 9-year-old heart desires but NASA, who recently created quite a buzz with a new job posting for a "planetary protection officer," took the time to write back to the boy.

"I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job," wrote Jack in his job application. "One of the reasons is that my sister says I am an alien."

Jack went on to boast about his knowledge of all things extraterrestrial, saying that he has seen all the space and alien movies and that he hopes to see the movie "Men In Black," which anyone applying for the NASA job should be required to watch.

Jack offers the hiring managers at NASA another unmatched skill, he says he is young so he can learn to think like an alien.

The job of "Planetary Protection Officer," which offers a six-figure salary, would help fight "organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration" from the agency's DC headquarters.

"Our Planetary Position Officer position is really cool and is very important work," James Green, Director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, wrote in response to Jack's job application. "It's about protecting Earth from tiny microbes when we bring back samples from the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It's also about protecting our planets from and moons from our germs as we responsibly explore the Solar System."

Green told Jack in the letter that the agency is always looking for bright future scientists and engineers and he hopes that Jack will be at NASA one day.

Jack even received a phone call from NASA’s Planetary Research Director, Jonathan Rall who congratulated him on his interest in the position.

With all the excitement the job posting is creating, NASA offered a caveat saying that while the job may not be in real-life what the title conjures up, it does play an important role "in promoting the responsible exploration of our solar system by preventing microbial contamination of other planets and our own."

Click here to read more about the job posting, applications can be submitted until Aug. 14.

Image via NASA