NASA wants to pay someone astronomical sums to do something that is out of this world

The U.S. government is looking for someone to help protect other planets from Earth, and it's willing to pay them a hefty salary to do so.

A job posted on the USAjobs.gov website last month seeks to hire a "Planetary Protection Officer" with a salary that would range anywhere from $124,406 to $187,000 per year.

According to the job description, the individual would be "concerned with the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration." In other words, the job is meant to protect other planets from Earth's species.

Below are the other responsibilities of the Planetary Protection Officer:

Leads planning and coordination of activities related to NASA mission planetary protection needs

Leads independent evaluation of, and provides advice regarding, compliance by robotic and human spaceflight missions with NASA planetary protection policies, statutory requirements and international obligations

Advises the Chief, SMA and other officials regarding the merit and implications of programmatic decisions involving risks to planetary protection objectives

In coordination with relevant offices, leads interactions with COSPAR, National Academies, and advisory committees on planetary protection matters

Job candidates must have "broad engineering experience" and a college degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics, having spent at least 24 semester hours studying "physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics." Job candidates with a "combination of education and experience" will also be considered.

The six-figure salary position is part of NASA's Office of Planetary Protection, which is charged with, among other things, "avoiding the biological contamination of explored environments that may obscure our ability to find life elsewhere — if it exists."

"Ultimately, the objective of planetary protection is to support the scientific study of chemical evolution and the origins of life in the solar system," NASA's Office of Planetary Protection website states.

It was not immediately clear if the position of Planetary Protection Officer is an existing or newly created job.

A NASA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.