VORONEZH, June 9 /ITAR-TASS/. Engineers from the Voronezh Design Bureau of Chemical Automation have successfully tested a liquid-fuel engine developed jointly with Italy’s Avio for Europe’s modified Vega carrier rocket, the bureau’s spokesman Alexander Kazhikin said on Monday.

“During one testing day, the possibility of the engine’s multiple start-ups was proved, including in vacuum conditions,” the spokesman said.

“In the presence of Avio representatives, four ground tests were held with the duration of 60 seconds each, and one high-altitude test using special systems simulating vacuum conditions.”

The joint R&D work conducted by the Voronezh design bureau and Avio since 2007 aims to create a demonstrator rocket engine with a 7.5-ton thrust, using oxygen and liquefied natural gas as its fuel.

The test “was a deciding stage of cooperation between the two companies as part of the research work carried out on order from the Italian Space Agency,” Kazhikin said.

The work for creating the LM10-MIRA engine to modernize Vega’s liquid-propellant upper stage was carried out by the leading engineers from both companies, he said.

Based on the results of this work, the Italian Space Agency and Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roscosmos will make a decision on the areas and prospects of further cooperation.