HILLSBORO, Va. (DC News Now) -- Talk about a special classroom experience for students at Hillsboro Charter Academy as they got to speak with astronaut Suni Williams in outer space as the space station orbited the Earth. Hillsboro was one of only nine schools in the U.S. given the opportunity through the International Space Station Program to speak with an astronaut through the academy's STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and math) program. Hagerstown manufacturer marks 118 years in business with global partnership Megan Tucker, faculty of Hillsboro, said getting the okay for the exciting exchange of astronauts in space meant lots of preparation for it. "When we got the word the real work began," Tucker said. "Every two weeks, on a fast track, we had to report the space lessons we were teaching. We had a fun day class so the kids could get content on aerospace principles of flight. We learned about the history of the space station, teamwork, countries that work together." So what questions did fifth grader Wyatt Legas serve up? "What's the scariest moments?" Legas asked. "Lots of cool questions like that." Legas loved the opportunity to talk to an astronaut. "It was like a huge wave of excitement went over me," the student said. Hillsboro Academy teacher Marissa Tennant helped the students with their extensive preparation for the orbiting space station chat. "We got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with our astronaut," Tennant said. "It was so scholar-driven. It was really all about the children asking the questions and that made it much more impactful for them." Help for home heating costs in Maryland dwindling as state faces budget crunch Fifth grader Hannah Kurst asked astronaut Williams how the cold temperatures in space affected their consumption of water in their spacecraft. "Just having your questions answered is enough to make your spirits go up to max a hundred," Kurst said. After completing her education Kurst plans to be a radio scientist and Legas wants to be a NASA engineer.