Global Starlink outage disrupts service for thousands

Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink faced a rare global outage on Thursday, affecting tens of thousands of users and prompting a swift response from Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The company confirmed on X that it was addressing a network outage and actively working on a solution.

Musk said on X that the service will be restored soon and later reassured users on X that SpaceX would identify and fix the root cause to prevent future incidents.

"SpaceX will remedy the root cause to ensure it doesn't happen again."

With Starlink topping six million users worldwide, SpaceX is now focused on its nascent direct-to-cell business by adding larger satellites to its constellation to boost the network's internet speeds and bandwidth.

Gregory Falco, a space and cybersecurity expert at Cornell University, speculated the cause might be a software update gone wrong—similar to the CrowdStrike incident in 2024 that crippled millions of Windows devices globally or possibly a cyberattack.

Despite the setback, Starlink continues to grow, boasting more than six million users worldwide.

SpaceX has launched more than 8,000 satellites since 2020 and is now focusing on expanding its direct-to-cell services with enhanced satellite capabilities.

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