Carioca is a planetary member of the Galaxy Federation and is a haven for many businesses and university research facilities due to its national-level support programs.
Vector Industries' First and Third R&D Divisions each had several facilities on the planet. The KOS-MOS R&D Project under Chief Kevin Winnicot was stationed here. It was also the site of the ill-fated U-TIC assault on the KOS-MOS development lab, which resulted on the KOS-MOS Archetype's "malfunction" and Kevin's supposed death.