Sandringham School in St Albans has made history by making the first amateur radio call from the United Kingdom to a British astronaut on the space station.
The children contacted Major Tim Peake as he flew overhead on Friday morning.
Pupil Jessica, who has recently passed her radio exams, led the conversation.
It took a few minutes for the crackle and hiss to die down and allow the students to put some questions to the astronaut, before the ISS then went over the horizon and out of range.
Jessica called it an "amazing experience" to be talking to someone 400km above them. Her headteacher, Alan Gray, said it had been an extraordinary opportunity for the school.
"It's a way of inspiring young people into science and technology - seeing the opportunities that may be available to them," he told BBC School Report.
"What you're seeing is that space has an awful lot to offer. It's not just about talking to Tim Peake on the space station. There are many other things that are useful for young people and will help with their learning."
For a short period, it looked like the connection would not be made.
The radio equipment set up in the school hall was using a local dish and the famous Earth station at Goonhilly in Cornwall.
Jessica put out repeated calls with no response: "Golf Bravo One Sierra Sierra, GB1SS - this is Golf Bravo One Sierra Alpha November calling and standing by, over!"
But then through the crackle, Major Peake's voice could just about be heard. A bit of channel-switching soon improved matters, and the pupils raced to the microphone to put their questions to "Britain's man in space".
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