THE Isle of Man’s ever-increasing presence as a major player in the space sector was recognised with one of the top awards at the Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence going to Chris Stott of ManSat whose wife Nicole is an astronaut.

The award as 'Business Person of the Year' was handed over to Chris at the Villa Marina on Thursday night at the glittering awards ceremony hosted by comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner to a sell-out audience of 1,200.

Chris Stott launched ManSat, pioneering the space sector in the Isle of Man, bringing huge amounts of revenue to the Island at a time of difficult economic circumstances.

He is highly regarded in the worldwide space industry and has brought respect to the Isle of Man for its innovative approach, leading to the Island currently being ranked as the 5th most likely nation to lead another moonshot. Chris has also introduced space scholarship opportunities for Manx students.

Chris is married to Nicole Stott the NASA astronaut who has also done her part in promoting the Isle of Man through her high profile.

The other nominees in this category were Noel Hayes of Manx2.com and John Quaye of Manx Independent Carriers.

The award, sponsored by Celton Manx, was presented by Bill Mummery.