NASA opens applications for new astronaut class

Have a sense of daring and a probing mind? Are you creative and ambitious, but also a team player? And a great scientist, engineer or whatever it is you do?

NASA wants you to consider becoming an astronaut, a job you can apply for from today through Jan. 27.

In a 1 p.m. EST press conference today, agency leaders and recently graduated astronauts will discuss how they'll go about selecting the next class of space explorers. Click on the NASA TV box at right to watch it live.

"These new astronauts will advance research aboard the space station to benefit life on Earth and develop the knowledge and skills needed for longer flights to explore the solar system," NASA says in a press release.

And the annual salary isn't bad: $64,724 to $141,715.

Click here for a complete job description and here for more on the astronaut selection process.