TV's Soledad O'Brien to Host National Geographic's 'Live from Space'

Journalist, producer and television host Soledad O'Brien will host the National Geographic Channel's television event "Live from Space," Nat Geo representatives announced Wednesday (Feb. 19). O'Brien will broadcast live from NASA's Mission Control in Houston to give viewers a glimpse of astronaut life and work aboard the International Space Station.

"Live from Space" is set to air live on Friday, Mar. 14 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) on the National Geographic Channel, as well as in 170 other countries. The two-hour show will follow NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata on the space station. The astronauts will take viewers on a guided tour of the space lab, demonstrating how they sleep upside down, stay fit, maintain personal hygiene and use the toilet in zero gravity.

"For those that were thrilled by 'Gravity,' I think they’ll be even more impressed by the incredible work being done every day aboard the ISS [International Space Station] and the tremendous risks and sacrifices the astronauts undertake," O'Brien said in a statement. Viewers will see Earth's sunrise and sunset, city lights, auroras, lightning storms and shooting stars. "We will get to witness the greatest show beyond Earth," O'Brien said. [See amazing photos taken by Koichi Wakata]

O'Brien is an Emmy-winning journalist who has reported from around the world for NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera America and HBO. Astronaut Mike Massimino, known for fixing the Hubble Telescope, will accompany O'Brien on the show in Houston.