Melvin saw the costume and responded: | 22 Words

Going to space is serious business. It takes a lot of scientific knowledge, expert-level mathematic calculations, and a cool head under pressure. The Right Stuff, if you will.

If you're going to be an astronaut, you also need to have a great sense of humor.

Just like Leland Melvin.

Most astronauts' portraits are very serious looking. Like this one of John Glenn:

via: Getty

 So wise. So smart. So astronaut-y. This guy does not mess around.

When it came time to take astronaut Leland Melvin's portrait, however, he took a different tack.

Rather than posing stoically with a solemn look on his face, Melvin is all smiles. Oh yeah, and there are two adorable dogs in the photo, too (note: the dogs are not astronauts). Those dogs are Scout and Jake, and they're amazing. Apparently, Melvin had to sneak them into the photoshoot. Once they were there, they did what dogs do best: make everything approximately 1005% better.

Melvin's picture has been a favorite of the Internet's for years. But this year, there's another contender for "Best Picture of Astronaut and Dogs." When Andrew Miller asked his 4-year-old daughter what she wanted to be for Halloween, she responded, "That funny astronaut." Here's the costume:

Question: Is this the most adorable and pure and lovely picture on the whole Internet? Answer: Yes. Yes, it is. It is out-of-this-world adorable.

Melvin saw the costume and responded:

Everything is just so lovely about this! Kids are great, dogs are great, space is great, Halloween is great. Is anyone gonna argue with us on this? No. On this, we can all agree.

Let's all make a pact to refer to Leland Melvin as "Leland Melvin, funniest astronaut ever" from now on, OK?

OK. Done and done. Bring on more adorable children in adorable costumes now, please!