Internet disruption impacted thousands due to Elon Musk's Starlink outage
In an unexpected turn of events, Starlink, the global satellite internet network developed by SpaceX, experienced an outage that left over 60,000 users without internet access on Thursday, 24 July, around 7pm UK time.
The root cause of this disruption was a failure of key internal software services that operate Starlink's core network. This software failure led to the network disruption, lasting approximately 2.5 hours before services were largely restored.
The outage was felt globally, with users in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia reporting a "total blackout" or difficulty accessing the internet. The affected regions included Colorado, Germany, Zimbabwe, and many others.
Starlink, with its user base of over six million users in approximately 140 countries and territories, understands the importance of connectivity and apologized for the disruption caused by the outage. Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind SpaceX, also issued an apology on Twitter, assuring users that service would be restored shortly.
Michael Nicolls, Starlink's vice president of engineering, confirmed the cause of the outage and apologized for the disruption. He stated that the company would identify the root cause to prevent future incidents. The outage also impacted Starshield, SpaceX’s defense-focused communications service that operates on the Starlink network, affecting some U.S. military users during the outage period.
The current Starlink deployment is part of a broader plan to launch up to 12,000 satellites. As of May 2025, Starlink operates more than 7,600 small satellites in low Earth orbit. Regulatory approval for a potential increase to 34,400 Starlink satellites has been sought.
Six hours later, Starlink confirmed that the issue had been resolved and service had been restored. The company is now investigating thoroughly to ensure this type of incident does not recur.
[1] TechCrunch. (2025). Starlink outage: SpaceX's satellite internet service goes down for thousands of users. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/24/starlink-outage-spacexs-satellite-internet-service-goes-down-for-thousands-of-users/
[2] The Verge. (2025). Starlink outage leaves thousands without internet access. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/24/23812458/starlink-outage-internet-access-thousands-users-elon-musk-spacex
[3] CNET. (2025). Starlink outage: SpaceX's satellite internet service hit by global disruption. [online] Available at: https://www.cnet.com/tech/starlink-outage-spacexs-satellite-internet-service-hit-by-global-disruption/
[4] Ars Technica. (2025). Starlink outage affects SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starshield defense-focused comms. [online] Available at: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/07/starlink-outage-affects-spacexs-satellite-internet-service-starshield-defense-focused-comms/
[5] BBC News. (2025). Starlink outage: Thousands left without internet access. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-61495067
- Despite the advancements in technology and space-and-astronomy, such as SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet network, encountering outages like the one on 24 July 2025, the importance of reliable connectivity in science and various industries remains significant.
- The disruption experienced by Starlink's users, which affected countries ranging from North America to Australia, highlights the need for continuous maintenance and software improvements to ensure the seamless operation of key technology in fields like space-and-astronomy and science.
