Avio and ESA Advance M10 Methane Engine Tests for Vega-E Rocket

Italian aerospace propulsion pioneer Avio and the European Space Agency (ESA) have successfully concluded an intensive series of long-duration hot-fire static tests for the prototype M10 (MR10) liquid oxygen-methane upper-stage engine. Conducted at the Salto di Quirra joint test facility in Sardinia, the trials mark a decisive technical leap forward in qualifying the propulsion unit that will power Europe's forthcoming Vega-E light-to-medium launcher.

The static test campaign subjected the full-scale engine assembly to operational burn profiles exceeding several hundred seconds, replicating ignition, throttled steady-state burn, and modular in-space restart sequences required for complex orbital deployments. Engineers confirmed that all measured thrust, combustion chamber pressures, and cryogenic turbopump dynamics matched theoretical predictive models.

Milestone Hot-Fire Testing at Salto di Quirra Range

Developed within ESA's Vega Evolution programme, the M10 engine delivers approximately ten metric tons of thrust and represents Europe's pioneering operational foray into liquid methane rocketry. By replacing the current Vega upper stages with a single cryogenic methane stage, Vega-E will eliminate three separate stages and toxic hypergolic storable propellants in favor of a cleaner, more economical configuration.

A centerpiece of the engine's architectural innovation is Avio's extensive use of metallic additive manufacturing. Critical subassemblies—including the combustion chamber, injectors, and turbomachinery housings—are fabricated using laser powder-bed fusion 3D printing, reducing component counts from hundreds of machined parts to single integrated structures.

“The successful static test firings of the M10 engine validate our cutting-edge additive manufacturing processes and cement Europe's sovereign access to agile, green space propulsion.” — Giulio Ranzo, Chief Executive Officer of Avio

Additive Manufacturing and Green Cryogenic Propulsion

Transitioning to cryogenic methane offers superior specific impulse and minimizes soot accumulation during burns, making multi-restart upper stages significantly more dependable. This agility allows Vega-E to deposit multiple rideshare satellites into distinct orbital planes during a single mission, providing European commercial and institutional payloads with flexible orbital insertion capabilities.

Following the successful test campaign in Sardinia, Avio and ESA will proceed toward the final qualification review phase and flight-model manufacturing. The Vega-E launcher is slated for its inaugural flight from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou later this decade, reinforcing Europe's autonomous access to low Earth orbit.

Sources

• European Space Agency
• Avio Space Propulsion