Here’s what NASA’s new Planetary Protection Officer will actually do

You've probably already heard about NASA's newest job opening. It carries a pretty impressive title, and being the official "Planetary Protection Officer" for US space program must be one heck of a responsibility, right? But what in the world does such a person actually do, and why is it so important that NASA is willing to throw as much as $187,000 at the person who wins the gig? Well, as with most things NASA does, it's complicated...While the title might imply that the person tasked with "pla