Not to be outdone by Shetland, Orkney man, Sten Tuckor has launched his bid for a space site to be constructed on the island of Sanday.

Brexit has jeopardised the UKs involvement in the European Space programme but Sten Tuckor sees this as an opportunity for Orkney to seize the initiative and begin construction on a state of the art space launch pad.

Sanday is the third largest of Orkney’s islands at  50.43 square kilometres (19.5 sq miles). Well known for its flat terrain and gorgeous sandy beaches it would make construction easy according to Sten.

The Orkney News caught up with Sten Tuckor as he was marking out the proposed boundaries for the site with his trusted terrier Worf:

Sten said:

“A few other places in Scotland have been touted as suitable for launchings but when I saw Shetland had put in a bid I knew we in Orkney could do much better.

“The future is in Space. The UK has no satellite launch facilities of its own. Brexit is a sky of opportunity for us. It has infinite possibilities “

More known locally for his online blogs about Star Trek v Star Wars , this enterprise will be a new departure for Sten. His journey into space launching sites will be a personal voyage of discovery as he seeks out new investors and goes boldly into future funding streams.

Sten continued:

“Orkney has a strong history in the development of aviation when during the First World war many new machines, like the design of sea planes, were tested out here. Captain Fresson had the first domestic air mail service.

“If those guys could do that back then on a wing and a prayer then why not us.

“I live by the philosophy of Dr Boyce” said Sten Tockor

“A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away.”

No one from the Sanday community was available for comment.

Reporter: Fergus Graemsay