A rare system-wide failure in Starlink’s internal software triggered a major outage on Thursday, leaving tens of thousands of users without internet access for more than two hours. The disruption, one of the most significant since Starlink became a major service provider, affected customers across the U.S., Europe, and other regions before engineers restored connectivity.
Service Restored After 2.5-Hour Blackout
According to outage tracker Downdetector, more than 61,000 user reports flooded in as the problem emerged around 3 p.m. EDT. Starlink, which boasts over 6 million subscribers in 140 countries, acknowledged the issue on X and assured users that a fix was underway. Michael Nicolls, Starlink’s VP of Engineering, later confirmed that service had mostly resumed and attributed the outage to a failure in “key internal software services.”
Speculation Over Cause: Glitch, Update, or Cyberattack?
Experts debated whether the disruption stemmed from a routine software malfunction, a faulty update, or a potential cyberattack. Doug Madory of Kentik noted that such a widespread outage was unusual for Starlink, calling it likely the longest in the service’s operational history. Gregory Falco, a cybersecurity expert at Cornell University, drew parallels to last year’s CrowdStrike failure, suggesting a problematic update could be to blame.
Starlink’s Rapid Growth and Future Challenges
The outage comes as SpaceX aggressively expands Starlink’s satellite network, now exceeding 8,000 units in low-Earth orbit. The company is also working with T-Mobile to enable direct-to-cell text messaging and upgrading its infrastructure for higher bandwidth. However, Thursday’s incident highlights the risks of scaling such a critical global service—especially as Starlink increasingly supports military, transportation, and emergency communications. SpaceX has vowed to investigate the root cause to prevent future disruptions.