The Isle of Man will officially reach for the stars today, with the opening of the International Institute of Space Commerce in Douglas.

It's a joint venture involving the Manx government and the International Space University in Strasbourg, and the Island beat competition from major cities to secure the facility.

It will be run by a board of trustees and will offer a 'global masters programme' for students in space commerce.

Today’s opening ceremony will be attended by representatives of the international space community, members of Tynwald and those involved in the space industry here.

(Picture: The entrance to the International Business School, where the institute will be based, from manxscenes.com).