OTTAWA – A group of Ottawa-area schoolchildren were feeling sky high Friday after a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak with astronaut Chris Hadfield and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The schoolchildren had a conversation with Hadfield, who is commanding the International Space Station — the first Canadian to do so.

They asked Hadfield many different questions such as “what do you do when you get sick?” and “do you ever fear anything in space?”

“I’m afraid when I don’t have a plan, when I can’t get ready for something. There are always things happening and some of them are scary if you’re not ready,” Hadfield responded.

Darcy McRae was one of the lucky kids who asked a question thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation.

“It was pretty freakin’ cool. It’s Chris Hadfield and the prime minister of Canada. That’s just awesome,” he said.

Robby was also among the ten children who got to ask a question.

“What do you do when you get sick in space?”

“Thank you, Robby. We try not to get sick, of course,” Hadfield said.

“You can’t catch a cold up here because there’s no one to catch a cold from but everybody on board is trained as an emergency medical technician.”

It wasn’t just the kids who were thrilled. Hadfield’s parents were on hand for the event and his mother Eleanor said she is so proud.

“Well, if you’ll pardon the pun, very uplifted,” she said.

The prime minister congratulated Hadfield on taking command of the International Space Station, calling him a modern-day explorer like the ones that founded Canada.

Hadfield encouraged the youngsters to think about becoming an astronaut, telling them to educate themselves and take care of their bodies.