What Is A Planetary Protection Officer? NASA Hiring To Prevent 'Alien Contamination'

If you think you have what it takes to prevent interplanetary biological contamination and like to travel a lot, NASA has just the job for you. The premiere space organization is looking to hire a planetary protection officer who will get a salary of up to $187,000.

However, the arduous work profile justifies the six figure salary. As a planetary protection officer, the person has to protect the Earth from alien contamination, and also help Earth not contaminate alien worlds that it is looking to explore.

Read: NASA Cassini Mission: Saturn's Moon Titan May Support Life

The profile posted on the website USAJOBS says the position would be under the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance for Planetary Protection. Planetary protection involves preventing biological contamination in space exploration, be it human or robotic.

According to NASA’s description this is an important role because: “NASA maintains policies for planetary protection applicable to all space flight missions that may intentionally or unintentionally carry Earth organisms and organic constituents to the planets or other solar system bodies, and any mission employing spacecraft, which are intended to return to Earth and its biosphere with samples from extraterrestrial targets of exploration.”

Apart from that, the officer also has to check samples that are intended to be taken back to Earth and its biosphere with samples from these explorations.

The job was created after a United Nations treaty called "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Bodies" was signed in 1967. The treaty stated that all countries that are a part of it “shall pursue studies of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination,” according to NASA’s Office Of Planetary Protection.

As a part of this, the planetary protection officer would also get to go to space centers to examine instruments and gear prior to launches. The person also has to take care of the technical aspects of planetary protection including keeping up NASA’s policies and international treaties that are developed after deliberations by Committee on Space Research or COSPAR.

The role is also to support the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Technical Authority and serves as a principal advisory resource for the Chief, SMA and other senior officials on matters related to planetary protection.

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According to the job opening, which is offering between $124,406 and $187,000 in salary, the position is only open to citizens and nationals of the U.S. The role will initially be for three years with the possibility of extending it further for another two. The last date to do apply is listed as Aug.14 2017.

It's not as if this position is the only one in the world. Planetary protection officers work at many agencies, but it usually is a part-time or shared role. Only NASA and the European Space Agency have full-time positions for the role.

The current planetary protection officer at NASA is Catharine A. Conley who is responsible for ensuring no bacteria contaminated its Opportunity and Curiosity rovers after their exploration of Mars. “So far, Mars is still pretty clean,” Conley said in 2015.