Which rocket was the most powerful ever flown?

Starship-Super Heavy is widely regarded as the most powerful rocket system ever flown, based on total liftoff thrust. The integrated vehicle had its first test flight on 20 April 2023. SpaceX designed it for full reusability and future deep-space missions, including Moon and Mars transport. Although early flights were test flights rather than operational missions, the system’s scale and thrust surpassed earlier rockets such as the Saturn V and the Space Shuttle stack. It represents a new generation of super-heavy launch systems.