The article substantiates the use of artificial Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) to improve the cosmonaut professional training for implementing innovative projects of robotic lunar exploration. The purpose of the article is to describe the methodology for creating an immersive virtual learning environment that reflects the key features of the «Human - Lunar robots» interaction. This creates favorable conditions for the formation of general technical competencies and the development of mental decision-making skills in view of high safety requirements for future test operations of new space system engineering in real conditions of lunar missions. The article summarizes the experience in using VLE for training operators of various profiles, including virtual simulators, as one of the examples of educational technology, based on VR. As far as the cosmonaut professional training is concerned, the priorities for the use of VLE depend on the depth and level of detailing the development of new projects based, in particular, on robotic support for the moon exploration. Given this condition, the custom properties of VLE have to correspond to the cosmonaut training phase and the tasks to be solved during this phase. Today, this methodological approach determines the place and role of virtual reality technologies in designing the human-robot interaction during significant operations that will be performed in lunar missions. The possibilities of obtaining professional experience and general technical competencies by cosmonauts in ground conditions on the basis of VLE for expanding the participation of cosmonauts in new projects of the robotic lunar exploration were studied. In accordance with the content of the road maps of manned space flights, virtual models of remote control systems for various types of lunar robots were developed. To simulate operators’ activity on the Moon and to investigate multimodal «Human - Lunar robots» interfaces, various versions of building visual scenes and virtual models of robots for virtual simulators were developed and tested. In order to create a design platform for VLE in the form of virtual simulators, the prior experience of VR simulation modeling and 3D visualization was generalized. The prospects of using the methodology for building a «virtual space experiment» when working out the «Human - Lunar Robots» interaction at the early stages of the development of lunar missions were shown. The article substantiates expanding the interpretation of the role of such innovative tool as a research platform with VLE for finding rational ways to implement innovative robotic solutions in manned flight missions. In addition to the traditionally considered tasks of forming general technical competencies, the active involvement of cosmonauts in the innovative process of creating new technology at early stages of ergonomic prototyping creates favorable conditions for becoming the testers of new engineering and space-explorers.