Last week NASA announced new job openings at the space agency. If you ever thought of flying in space this may be your chance. A new class of astronauts is about to be formed. You can even apply online at a government jobs website.

Keep in mind that NASA does not currently have its own space transportation for astronauts, since the space shuttle was retired this past July.

Nevertheless, plans are in the works for new government and commercial space transportation systems that will hopefully come online in a few years. In the meantime, the Russians are providing rides to the space station.

NASA's astronaut office thinks this is a great opportunity, even though there may be a wait of several years before you will fly. Nevertheless, there is the chance that you will ultimately spend six months in the space station.

This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime life-changing experience. Station crew men and women become members of a very, very exclusive club.

Estimates indicate that in about three to five years, new U.S. commercial launch options will become available. In addition, there are plans for flights in NASA's Orion capsule beyond low earth orbit and possibly to an asteroid or eventually to Mars.

Since some veteran astronauts are leaving the space program, there surely will be ride openings for new class members. NASA says a minimum of 55 astronauts are needed in the future. The roster currently shows 58. So, the new class is needed in order to maintain this number.

During the space shuttle era, recruiting was easy, as NASA was continually inundated with applications. However, the current campaign must be a little more aggressive.

Check YouTube for a recruitment video complete with flashy images and background music. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says in the video: "Join NASA. Get your application in now for the 2013 astronaut candidate class. Your spaceflight experience begins right now."

If you are interested, remember that you must have at least a bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or math. Most astronauts have a master's or doctorate.

Additionally, you must learn Russian and be a U.S. citizen. Finally, your vision must be correctable to 20/20 and be between 62 and 75 inches tall.

The pay is pretty good at between $64,700 and $141,700. Benefits include lots of travel with the possibility of going extraterrestrial.