SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet network was back online Friday after suffering one of its most significant global outages to date. The disruption, caused by a failure in key internal software services, affected tens of thousands of users across the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine on Thursday, shaking confidence in a system widely regarded for its speed, resilience, and global reach.
The outage began around 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), according to Downdetector, a crowdsourced outage monitoring platform, which logged more than 61,000 user reports of disrupted service.
Ukraine Hit Hard as Frontline Communications Go Dark
Among the most critical consequences was in Ukraine, where Starlink is deeply integrated into military communications. Ukrainian drone force commander Robert Brovdi reported that the service went down “across the entire front,” disrupting real-time operations on the battlefield — a stark reminder of Starlink’s strategic importance.
Swift Response, But Serious Implications
Starlink acknowledged the disruption on its X (formerly Twitter) account shortly after the outage began, saying engineers were actively working on a solution. Service began to recover within 2.5 hours, and by 8 p.m. Thursday, full functionality had been restored.
“The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network,” said Michael Nicolls, SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Engineering.
He apologized for the disruption and assured users that the company was investigating the root cause to prevent future incidents.
CEO Elon Musk echoed the sentiment:
“Sorry for the outage. SpaceX will remedy [the] root cause to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he posted on X.
Speculation on the Cause: Bug, Botch, or Breach?
While SpaceX attributed the outage to internal software failure, experts have floated other potential causes. Some pointed to the possibility of a botched software update, while others didn’t rule out a cyberattack.
“This is likely the longest outage ever for Starlink, at least since it became a major service provider,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik.
Gregory Falco, a space and cybersecurity expert at Cornell University, compared the event to the CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage earlier this year, suggesting it may have been a faulty software rollout.
Growing Pains of a Rapidly Expanding Network
Starlink, launched in 2020, has grown into a critical digital infrastructure provider, with over 6 million users across 140 countries. It plays an increasingly vital role in military communications, remote connectivity, and emergency services.
SpaceX has launched over 8,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit to power the network, and it continues to scale up. The company is also partnering with T-Mobile to roll out direct-to-cell text messaging services, aiming to connect users in rural areas without cellular coverage.
What About Starshield?
It remains unclear whether Starshield, SpaceX’s military satellite division, was affected. Starshield supports U.S. defense and intelligence operations under contracts reportedly worth billions of dollars.
Adding to the scrutiny, Reuters recently reported that Elon Musk ordered a partial shutdown of Starlink access during a key Ukrainian offensive in September 2022 — raising further questions about operational control and reliability in conflict zones.
A Wake-Up Call for Starlink?
While Thursday’s outage appears to have been resolved, it’s a reminder of the vulnerabilities in even the most advanced networks. For a system increasingly seen as mission-critical — in war zones, rural communities, and national security — the incident may prompt deeper scrutiny of Starlink’s internal systems, safeguards, and transparency.
As SpaceX continues to expand Starlink’s capabilities, the pressure is now on to prevent future disruptions — especially when lives and national interests may depend on it.