Earth-to-space call.

Control center: Station this is Houston. Are you ready for the event?

Expedition 54 astronauts: We hear you loud and clear. Welcome to the International Space Station. We are ready for the questions.

Timberline High School and Boise State University students got a virtual visit, that is — from the International Space Station (ISS), 250 miles above the Earth on Thursday morning.

Nearly 300 students gathered in the Timberline auditorium, with 25 selected to ask questions to Expedition 54 astronauts Joe Acaba, Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle, who are living and working on the space station.

Students were selected through a competitive process to host a live 20-minute video call with the space station. Students have been preparing for the event by studying the station, astronaut biographies and the current research and activities happening aboard the orbiting laboratory.

“This is a huge deal,” said Chris Taylor, a curriculum supervisor at the Boise School District.

The in-flight education live video is a component of NASA’s Year of Education on Station, which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and teachers.

Check out the video above to watch the students ask their questions.