BOSTONAudience members sat ready for takeoff in their seats in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Mission Control in Houston appeared on a giant screen, followed by an image from inside the International Space Station.

"This is Houston. Are you ready for the event?" a voice asked.

"We are ready for the event," astronaut Joe Acaba replied from the station, circling 220 miles above Earth.

American astronauts Acaba and Suni Williams at the International Space Station answered live, pre-selected questions from the Boston audience via video chat Monday. Nearly 300 children and adults gathered at the library to talk with the astronauts.

In polo shirts and pants, Williams and Acaba floated centimeters off the floor and demonstrated zero-gravity flips from the station, which orbits Earth in 1 1/2 hours, 16 times a day.

When a young boy asked Williams why she couldn't bring her terrier, Gorby, aboard, she showed off a toy version of the dog and flipped him through the air.

"I miss him probably because he represents those cool things on Earth that you don't have up here, like wind in your face, walking on the beach," Williams said.

Both Williams and Acaba served in the military; Williams a helicopter commander in the Navy and Acaba in the Marine Corps Reserves.

Not all astronauts have military training, the two said, but Acaba reminded young audience members all astronauts have backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math.

"Your dreams can come true," Williams said. "Just do the best that you can at what you like. Somehow it seems to all line up, and you'll become what you want to become."

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Astronauts discuss pets, prep from Space Station