INUVIK - As students flooded out of Samuel Hearne Secondary School gymnasium on Oct. 23, Emily Rutherford and a few of her Grade 6 colleagues huddled in excited conversation about their live conversation with an astronaut in space.

"It was cool talking to someone not on this planet," she said with a smile. "They're out of the atmosphere. There's no gravity there. It's pretty neat."

Rutherford and her fellow Grade 6 students, along with several residents joined Samuel Hearne Secondary School students Friday morning for about a 10-minute conversation with astronaut Jeffrey Williams aboard the International Space Station.

The communication was established through a radio link to the space station via a telebridge communications station in California. The conversation was kept brief because a link could only be maintained for a short period of time, given that the space station travels 27,000 km/h, covering the equivalent distance from Inuvik to Yellowknife in about 20 seconds.

Lucky senior - level science students asked 22 questions that ranged from the serious to the absurd (does your brain rattle around in space?

Williams maintained a pleasant but swift and concise delivery when responding to the series of questions, including how it felt journeying to space.

"It's an amazing feeling," he said. "It's a moment that we trained for for years. It's a real kick in the pants to come off the launch pad and ride the rocket for about nine minutes to get into space."

One student asked what Williams considered the most beautiful thing he witnessed in space, to which he answered "Earth".

"The most beautiful thing is the Earth, to be able to view the ocean, the clouds and land forms and all the variety of terrain, is just absolutely incredible."

He also admitted to having fast food cravings.

The event was organized by ARISS (Amateur Radio International Space Station), a NASA-sponsored educational outreach program that includes nine countries.

Steve and Lori McFarlane, ARISS members, monitored the school event.

The enthusiastic married couple wore blue NASA overalls and brought a short video to show what life is like on the craft which travels about 350 km above the Earth.

The station is about the size of a five-bedroom house and is entirely powered by solar energy. Equipment on board has the capability of converting water to oxygen.

Students were supposed to speak to Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who's been aboard the space station since last May, but he was occupied at the time of the call.

Steve McFarlane said Inuvik is the furthest North the project has travelled so far in promoting space research to youth and studies in science, technology, engineering and math, among other things.

Lori McFarlane said a live conversation with an astronaut helps spark kids' interest.

"What better way to bring the subject to all the students in an interesting way?" she said.

Although Rutherford said she's in awe of astronauts, she's not sure she has the stomach to be one, especially as she learned they have to wear their uniforms two weeks at a time before having a shower.

"I don't ever want to wear anything for two weeks or not be able to wash my hair," she said.

Brittany Lucas-Cockney was one of the students who got the chance to talk to Williams and said it was a memorable experience.

"It's pretty interesting to see what it's like to be up in space," she said. "Just hearing the astronaut was pretty special. It was a really good experience."