Late evening on October 16, 2025, the Super Heavy booster powered up 33 Raptor engines, lifting off from Starbase, Texas for another Starship test flight. This full-throttle ignition underscores SpaceX’s continued push to perfect its massive, reusable launch system.
The 33-engine core of Super Heavy is what gives Starship its unmatched thrust, combining sea-level and vacuum-optimized Raptors to power ascent, stage separation, and (in later missions) return maneuvers. For this flight, SpaceX reused the booster B15, which previously flew on Flight 8 and is now returning for another outing.
This mission is officially Flight 11, and it represents the final voyage of the Version 2 Starship / Super Heavy configuration. Future efforts will pivot to Version 3 and upgraded pad infrastructure. During ascent, the booster executed hot staging to separate from the upper stage roughly 2.5 minutes in, and then shifted into a modified landing burn profile, transitioning engine clusters mid-burn.
As the countdown concluded and engines lit, space fans across the globe watched in awe. The roar of 33 Raptors from Starbase is a signature moment in the evolving saga of reusable megarockets — a live demonstration of both power and precision as SpaceX advances toward a new era of orbital travel.
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