Starlink, Musk's satellite internet service, has been experiencing an outage for approximately two hours.
SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, a popular solution for areas without mobile phone reception and used by various airlines, experienced a significant outage on an unspecified date in July 2025. The disruption, which lasted approximately two and a half hours, affected customers worldwide, including the Ukrainian military who rely on Starlink due to the destruction of traditional telecommunications infrastructure in the Russian invasion.
The cause of the outage was a failure in key internal software services operating the core network. This software issue was reported by a SpaceX manager. The outage impacted users globally, leaving millions without internet for several hours. Notably, the Ukrainian military was affected, highlighting the critical role Starlink plays in maintaining communication lines in challenging circumstances.
SpaceX publicly confirmed the outage and worked diligently to implement a solution. Service was restored in Ukraine by 1:05 a.m. the following day. The company apologised for the disruption and committed to fully investigating and preventing similar incidents in the future.
Despite the outage, SpaceX is continuing its ongoing Starlink satellite deployments. Launches occurred on July 26 and 27, 2025, sending batches of 24 and 28 satellites into low-Earth orbit to expand and bolster the network. These activities indicate that SpaceX is maintaining investment and growth of the Starlink system, with a focus on improving coverage in polar regions through the placement of satellites in polar orbits.
Competition in the satellite communications market is heating up, with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin developing a competing service called Project Kuiper. However, Bezos is still in the early stages of Project Kuiper development.
In summary, after a significant but temporary global outage due to software failure, SpaceX has restored Starlink service and is actively working to prevent recurrence while continuing to expand the satellite constellation through recent launches. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of reliable satellite communication services in today's interconnected world.
The outage experienced by SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, which affected users worldwide including the Ukrainian military, was caused by a failure in key internal software services operating the core network. SpaceX is continuing its ongoing Starlink satellite deployments, focusing on improving coverage in polar regions through the placement of satellites in polar orbits, hinting at their dedication to maintaining and growing the Starlink system.
