Virtual- and augmented-reality training contract signed between U.S. Space Force and Microsoft
NewsJanuary 11, 2024
WASHINGTON. The U.S. Space Force signed a deal with Microsoft worth $19.8 million under which the tech giant will develop a virtual and mixed-reality training environment for Space Force personnel.
According to reporting from Microsoft, the one-year contract calls for the company to continue work on an augmented-reality space (AR) simulation tool -- called the Integrated, Immersive, Intelligent Environment (I3E) -- that Microsoft started developing last year for the Space Systems Command in Los Angeles.
The system uses Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets, Azure cloud platform, and a mesh framework for sharing AR experiences, which will enable users to see and manipulate interactive models of space with accurately scaled orbital objects. The latest I3E agreement gives Space Force personnel access to physics-based satellite behavior modeling, intelligence analysis tools, and wargaming in a space environment, stated Col. Richard Kniseley, senior materiel leader for the Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office.
Steve Kitay, senior director of Azure Space, said that the capability will ultimately be accessible enterprise-wide to Space Force personnel anywhere in the world through a virtual desktop solution.
