WEKIT ECS has partnered with ALTEC and XR2LEARN for the CARATE project, pioneering the fusion of Extended Reality (XR) with Industry 5.0 for revolutionizing astronaut training. The space industry is evolving rapidly, creating a need for affordable and accessible astronaut training. Private companies are now launching rockets and astronauts to the International Space Station, and we’re gearing up for new lunar missions with a new space station and habitat on the Moon and in Mars. Preparing astronauts for these extended missions in challenging extraterrestrial environments requires a paradigm shift. CARATE innovates XR learning in Industry 5.0 for the aerospace industry by:

(a) making XR content creation faster, more collaborative, and more automated

(b) seamlessly integrating human instruction and AR guidance for highly engaging, blended learning

(c) developing skills and XR literacy for European astronauts and their trainers

CARATE will build on MirageXR. Development will be validated in evaluation pilots at ALTEC premises in Italy and at the ESA European Astronaut Centre (EAC) premises in Germany. Exploitation as a joint venture is planned, bringing XR learning to the space agencies and companies in the sector through three key technical project outcomes:

1) XR real-time collaboration for co-design and for learning, adding virtual telepresence facilities in the Metaverse for both learners and instructors with collaborative authoring.

2) XR gamification for learning, offering XR gamified crew training to replace instructor-based training when real-time support isn’t available.

3) XR enterprise interoperability with Learning Management Systems, adding a visual editor, linking XR assessment and observation results through to Moodle’s competency tracking.

CARATE follows the IEEE standard for Augmented Reality Learning Experience Models (IEEE-SA P1589-2020), a standardised data model providing the basis for XR learning interoperability.