Some students at Stonepark Intermediate School in Charlottetown had the opportunity to pose questions to International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield on Thursday afternoon.

The grade nine students had been taking time to prepare in advance for the 10-minute visit, learning all about NASA and Hadfield, the first Canadian to command the International Space Station. Contact was made through ham radio. Fourteen students had a chance to ask Hadfield a question, including a question about the differences in everyday life on a space station compared to on Earth.

"You can't take a shower, so we sponge bath but that's not so bad. It's sort of like someone in the hospital. We have to use waterless shampoo," said Hadfield.

"You try and lead a normal life but all of it is a little different when you are going around the world at eight kilometres a second."

Some students said the experience inspired them to study space as a career. Hadfield said his inspiration was Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

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Space station commander fields student questions