Super Heavy

Super Heavy is the 1st Stage booster for the Starship

As of 11 May 2021 Booster Number 2 (BN2) and also BN3 are both currently under construction at SpaceX's Starbase Tx production facility (Boca Chica), and is looking like BN3 may be used for the first Orbital test of Starship in July 2021.

As of 3 May 2020 Super Heavy will use 31 Raptor engines.

SpaceX Super Heavy booster test-fired for first time! 19 July 2021

SpaceX are rapidly working on the Orbital launch mount and the massive Support Tower ready for Super Heavy Testing.

These towers are slated to "catch" the Super Heavy boosters out of the sky with colossal arms, once fully-assembled Starship rockets are space-worthy. The tip of the tower's crane will probably be 490 to 520 ft (150 to 160 m) tall.

2019

It will use 35 Raptor engines and be fully reusable.

Super Heavy diagram 2019

The first flight prototype BN2 is in production in May 2021 and may have 4 Raptor engines, Elon "First flights would have fewer, so as to risk less loss of hardware."

The first test is expected to follow in July 2021 from Starbase Tx (Originally late 2019 from KSC).

Super heavy will never reach orbital velocity and, therefore doesn't need a Starship style heat shield, being more akin to the Falcon 9 reusable 1st stage booster.

The 29-35 engines are split into two designs, 7 steerable Raptor engines using gimbal control in the centre surrounded by 22-28 fixed Raptor engines.

see https://twitter.com/i/status/1153646850836258816

Launch

SpaceX is currently proposing to launch the Super Heavy from a new Starship pad at its current KSC LC-39A for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. ( Also its Starship ORBITAL prototype Mk2).

Also in the future, SpaceX may develop and launch the Starship/Super Heavy from its Boca Chica Beach facility in Cameron County, TX from where it currently launched its Starhopper and then its Starship ORBITAL prototype Mk1.

Landing

Super Heavy is the first stage booster and would be landed downrange on a droneship (converted barge), similar to the downrange landings of Falcon boosters. (note the Starship will land back to ground at a new KSC LZ1 at KSC LC-39A)

The Super Heavy Booster reaches an altitude of about 425,000 feet and then on descent reaches hypersonic speeds above Mach 6 before slowing to subsonic speeds, below 25,000 feet, prior to landing on a drone ship.

Currently Super Heavy BN2 and BN3 are in construction as of May 2021.

Meanwhile the Super Heavy Launch mount and the Support Tower are in full construction for a July 2021 test.

History

The first Super Heavy BN1 was built as a test article in the High Bay at Starbase (Boca Chica, Tx) and was never intended to fly and has now been scraped.