NASA responds to child’s letter asking how to become an astronaut

NASA may have just recruited one of its future astronauts after delighting 7-year-old Dexter with a response to his letter asking how he can visit Mars someday.

Dexter's mother posted images of his letter and NASA's response, complete with pictures of the Curiosity Rover and other resources. She also shared the story on Reddit.

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More than 1,700 comments later, Dexter's letter has gone viral online with many lauding NASA for helping Dexter keep his dreams alive.

This is what Dexter wrote:

In response, NASA sent a letter telling Dexter to "keep reaching for the stars!" along with links to learn about becoming an astronaut. The organization also posted on its Twitter feed about answering questions.

One person who commented on the Reddit thread claimed to be a NASA employee and said the public outreach department often pins children's letters to their desks.

"This sort of thing means the world to children and keeps their imagination and faith in the industry alive," Dexter's mother wrote in a reply thanking NASA.

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NASA regularly replies to letters from inquisitive kids. An editor at the British blog urban75 posted photographs this fall of artifacts received in response to a letter sent to NASA in 1969.

In 2011, 10-year-old Christopher Allan from Britain also received a letter and a package of resources when he asked for help with his school project about space shuttles.