NASA Is Hiring A ‘Planetary Protection Officer’ And The Whole World Is Applying

If you’re anything like me, you’ve often wondered what you would do in the case of an alien invasion. If you think you have what it takes to stand up to the alien menace, then NASA has the job for you. 

NASA is looking to hire a “Planetary Protection Officer” which may the most badass title there is. The job involves studying planets and moons in our solar system and figuring out how to prevent them from destroying our way of life. While that may sound like studying alien weaknesses so we know how to defeat them, the job is much more scientific than that. 

It involves figuring out ways to prevent contamination when probes and spacecrafts return to Earth. For example, in the coming years, NASA will be sending a probe to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. The probe will only fly around and take pictures but there is chance it could crash land on Europa before returning back to Earth. The Planetary Protection Officer works to make sure that nothing comes back to Earth that shouldn’t. In other words, the officer works to prevent risks of contamination. 

Additionally, the officer makes sure we don’t contaminate any worlds Earth hopes to one day colonize. If you just read that and have no idea how to go about doing something like that, then maybe you should look elsewhere for employment. 

In order to apply for the job you must have one year experience as top-level civilian government employee and have experience with “planetary protection.” You also need an advanced degree in physical science, engineering, or math. So if you’re thinking about going back to school, now’s a good time to do it. 

There is expected to be some stiff competition for the job, as (mostly unqualified) people are already clamoring for it. 

If you are interested (and actually qualified) you can apply here through August 14th.

[h/t Business Insider]