A virtual laboratory to help engineers test products and processes before physical creation is being opened in Colorado by Lockheed Martin.

The Collaborative Human Immersive Laboratory will increase the affordability and efficiency of space system development, the company said.

"As customer budget pressures continue, and the need for critical space assets escalates, the CHIL will help increase the affordability and value of our programs," said Jeff D. Smith, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company's director of Special Projects. "While similar technology is being used in the movie industry to create fictitious worlds, the CHIL is real, and it is driving affordability into our products."

The company will leverage the CHIL for a variety of programs, including the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System and NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. The laboratory could also be applied to a range of space systems, including satellites, exploration spacecraft, launch vehicles and missile defense systems.

The CHIL integrates a variety of technologies including motion capture, immersive and portable systems to create its collaborative environment.