Jack Davis, in his letter, dated August 3, wrote "Dear NASA, My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job."
Jack Davis, "Dear NASA, My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job." (NASA Twitter)
"Well, there's nothing more touching than putting a smile on a kid's face when you can," this was once said by Emma Roberts, a writer and poet known for her memoirs about India. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) did the same thing by replying to a 9-year-old kid who applied for its "planetary protection officer" job by sending a handwritten letter. Jack Davis, in his letter, dated August 3, wrote "Dear NASA, My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job." The fourth-grader also cited reasons, why he thinks he is fit for the job. Jack revealed, "One of the reasons is my sister thinks I'm an alien. Also, I have seen almost all the space and alien movies I can see."
Jack ended his letter by describing his key skills, saying he is great at video games. "I am young, so I can learn to think like an Alien," he added. James L Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, promptly responded to Jack's letter. In a reply letter, Green wrote, "I hear you are a 'Guardian of the Galaxy' and that you're interested in being a NASA Planetary Protection Officer. That's great!" Green also described the job of Planetary Protection Officer as "cool" and "very important." He explained Jack, "It's about protecting Earth from tiny microbes when we bring back samples from the Moon, asteroids and Mars." Green said NASA also has the responsibility of protecting other planets and moons.
Jack had also received a call from Jonathan Rall - NASA's planetary research director, as per Business Insider. In a phone call to Jack, Rall congratulates him on his interest in the position.
The space agency, however, did not lower the minor's morale, it said "We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school. We hope to see you here at NASA one of these days!"
"Although the Planetary Protection Officer position 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," reads NASA's letter. NASA is accepting applications at USAJobs.gov from July 13 through August 14.
