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Starlink Outage Hits Users Globally—SpaceX Probes Internal Failure
The blackout came just one day after T-Mobile launched T-Satellite, its Starlink-powered satellite text messaging service aimed at rural users. While T-Mobile insisted that its operations remained unaffected, the timing of the rollout and outage has fueled further speculation online.
In a rare and widespread disruption, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, experienced a major global outage on Thursday, July 24, 2025, leaving tens of thousands of users without internet access for over two hours. SpaceX, which operates Starlink, attributed the failure to a breakdown in its internal software systems—a first of this scale for the rapidly expanding satellite network.
The outage began around 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) and lasted approximately 2.5 hours, according to Downdetector, a popular outage tracker. At its peak, over 61,000 users from the U.S., Europe, and beyond reported connectivity failures, sparking speculation of a cyberattack or failed software update.
Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s VP of Starlink Engineering, took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that service had been mostly restored by 6:23 p.m., stating: “The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network.” Elon Musk himself issued a direct apology on X: “Sorry for the outage. SpaceX will remedy root cause to ensure it doesn’t happen 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
Military and Global Impact
In Ukraine, where Elon Musk’s Starlink serves as a critical backbone for military battlefield communications, the outage temporarily stalled operations along the front lines. Robert Brovdi, head of Ukraine’s drone unit, confirmed the blackout affected combat readiness, highlighting the geopolitical stakes of Starlink’s reliability.
The failure also raised alarms among cybersecurity experts. Gregory Falco, director of Cornell University’s space and cybersecurity lab, likened the disruption to the recent CrowdStrike software debacle, suggesting the issue may stem from a flawed software rollout—or even a coordinated cyberattack.
Service will be restored shortly.
Sorry for the outage.
SpaceX will remedy root cause to ensure it doesn’t happen again. https://t.co/q1bsTVtMZ7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2025
T-Mobile Rollout Coincidence?
The blackout occurred just one day after T-Mobile launched T-Satellite, its Starlink-powered satellite text messaging service designed for rural users. Starlink did record an outage while T-Mobile insisted that its operations remained unaffected, and the timing of the rollout and outage has fueled further speculation online.
With over 8,000 satellites deployed since 2020 and more than 6 million active users, Starlink has rapidly grown into one of the world’s largest and most critical internet providers. Its customers include not only civilians in remote areas but also governments, militaries, and large corporations.
What’s Next for Starlink and SpaceX?
As Elon Musk’s Starlink’s global footprint and strategic significance grow, the stakes for uptime and reliability have never been higher. Musk’s assurance that SpaceX will fix the root issue is only the beginning. Users and regulators alike will be watching how SpaceX bolsters its infrastructure—and whether this disruption was a one-off glitch or a warning sign of deeper systemic issues.
With future expansions planned—including direct-to-cell phone service and high-speed global coverage—SpaceX will need to ensure Starlink’s resilience matches its ambition.
