London, Jan 11 (IANS/EFE): Britain's Channel 4 said it will air the first-ever live television show from space, tracking the International Space Station though a complete orbit around the Earth.

"Live from Space" will be broadcast on National Geographic Channel in 170 other countries.

Besides glimpses of daily life aboard the ISS, the programme will offer high-definition images of the Earth from orbit.

The show is to be hosted by Dermot O'Leary, the long-time face of British talent search program "The X Factor," who will speak live with the astronauts aboard the ISS via NASA Mission Control in Houston.

"It's already been an education to research this project and so I can't wait to join the viewers in finding out both the spectacular workings of the ISS. I simply can't wait," O'Leary said.

Professor Stephen Hawking and British astronaut Tim Peake - set to serve on the ISS in 2015 - will also make appearances on the programme.

The ISS, a $100 billion project involving more than a dozen countries, has been continuously inhabited since 2000.