Students at an Airdrie high school spoke to an astronaut orbiting in space on Monday.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield had a live video chat with about 1,000 students and community members from Bert Church High School, in the city north of Calgary. He answered questions from students and told stories from outer space.

"To become elegant and graceful in space took about a month, but now I feel completely adapted and adjusted and it's going to be hard to come home," he said.

Grade 9 student Miranda Schmidt said she and her classmates studied radiation levels in different parts of the world in preparation for the live chat.

"Chris Hadfield is doing the same thing, so we get to compare all of our results with his results," she said.

Teacher Lindsay Rous, who helped get her school selected for the chat, called it a once in a lifetime experience the students will never forget.

"Science is connected to the real world. What we're doing in the classroom is completely relevant."

Astronaut Robert Thirsk visits

Monday was Hadfield's final public talk before taking over the reins of the space station as commander.

“This is an experience for the countless Canadians that would love to do this themselves,” Hadfield said.

Astronaut Robert Thirsk, who was also in Airdrie Monday, hopes that students will be inspired by their talk with Chris Hadfield. (Kyle Bakx/CBC)

“People’s vision of the world is slightly expanded and their fundamental excitement and opportunity is rekindled by some of the things I’ve had a chance to observe up here. So it’s a fun part of all the things we’re doing up here, but it’s also one that’s worth doing just because of the impact that it can have.”

Astronaut Robert Thirsk, who is originally from Calgary, was also at the school to speak to students.

“I hope that there are some students here today that will be inspired by Chris Hadfield will say and will consider completing high school or considering a university education in science or engineering or medicine or education and become Canada’s next generation of leaders,” Thirsk told reporters.