SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service experienced a global outage on Thursday that lasted for over two hours. Reports of connectivity issues started around 3:20PM ET, based on DownDetector. SpaceX didn't acknowledged the outage until 4:05PM ET, via a post on the Starlink X account. Service began to come back for some at around 5:30PM ET, and Michael Nicolls, Starlink's VP of engineering, said the provider had "mostly recovered" at 6:23PM ET.
Users across the US, Europe, the UK and Asia reported issues on r/starlink, the service's Reddit page, and SpaceX even acknowledged the outage on Starlink's website. The company hasn't shared the number of people who were actually impacted, but it could be in the millions — as of the last Starlink network update, the service has over six million active customers globally.
The initial announcement that SpaceX was working on a fix didn't explain what cause the outage or what was being done to restore service. "Starlink is currently in a network outage and we are actively implementing a solution," the company's X post said. "We appreciate your patience, we'll share an update once this issue is resolved."
Starlink is currently in a network outage and we are actively implementing a solution. We appreciate your patience, we'll share an update once this issue is resolved.
— Starlink (@Starlink) July 24, 2025
In announcing the service's recovery, Nicolls explained that the outage was due to a "failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," rather than any issue with SpaceX's satellite constellation or other hardware problems. Nicolls added that Starlink will "fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again.
Starlink has now mostly recovered from the network outage, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours. The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network. We apologize for the temporary disruption in our service; we are deeply committed to… https://t.co/ffFYM1Z7tD
— Michael Nicolls (@michaelnicollsx) July 24, 2025
Starlink is designed to be accessible where traditional service providers can't reach, making it a common option for van lifers and anyone living without traditional internet infrastructure. SpaceX has also partnered with companies like T-Mobile to use Starlink to extend smartphone connectivity outside the bounds of traditional cell networks. It's not clear how T-Mobile's Starlink service was impacted as by the outage.
Update, July 24, 6:30PM ET: Article has been updated to reflect that Starlink service is restored.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/starlink-outage-service-returns-after-over-two-hours-down-204002942.html?src=rss
