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ENGLAND — Dexter Anderson isn't quite old enough to vote, drive or even go to the store by himself, but this 7-year-old space enthusiast has a big dream that's already caught NASA's attention.
Dexter wants to go to space, and even though he's too young to explore the vast unknown anytime soon, he decided to get a jump start on his future. So this proactive kid picked up a pen and made his intentions known in a letter addressed to the agency that sends dreamers like him out of this world — NASA.
"I heard that you are sending 2 people to Mars," he wrote. "I would like to come but I'm 7. So I can't."
But he wasn't going to let his age stop him from getting an edge.
"I would like to come in the future," he continued. "What do I need to do to become an astronaut?"
Dexter's mom, Katrina Anderson, helped him mail off his letter. She wasn't expecting he'd get anything back — but to her surprise, Dexter received a package a short time later that sent him over the moon.
Not only did NASA's Office of Communications write him an encouraging letter, he also received stickers and pictures to help him prepare for his future mission.
"Just think — in a few years you could be one of the pioneers that may help lead the world's activities for better understanding of our earth and for exploring space," the letter read.
Anderson posted pictures of Dexter's letter, along with the NASA package's contents, on Imgur. The photos quickly blasted their way across the internet — going viral almost overnight.
"His initial reaction was shock. He couldn't believe he got a package that big from NASA — honestly I thought he'd only get a letter at best," Anderson told the Huffington Post.
Anderson said her son put the pictures in his room for "safe keeping." She said a visit to the Kennedy Space Center last year fueled his obsession, and that his "interest knows no bounds."
