Starlink, run by Musk, has experienced an outage lasting over two consecutive hours.
Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet service, experienced a global outage on July 25, 2025, around 21:00 CEST, lasting approximately 2.5 hours. This disruption affected millions of users worldwide, causing a ripple effect in various sectors, particularly in areas without mobile phone reception and in conflict zones like Ukraine.
The Starlink network, managed by SpaceX, is crucial for the Ukrainian army due to the destruction of traditional communication infrastructure in the Russian invasion. The outage potentially caused significant disruptions for the Ukrainian army, though specific details are not yet available.
Similarly, various airlines rely on Starlink for in-flight internet, and while the exact impact on airlines during the outage is not explicitly confirmed, the disruption highlights the potential vulnerabilities in this area.
Starlink's network consists of thousands of satellites orbiting Earth at a low altitude, and users on the ground employ compact receiving and transmitting stations with Starlink. The system is a popular solution for areas without mobile phone reception.
Despite the recent outage, Starlink has been relatively reliable, and it's worth noting that Amazon's competing service, Project Kuiper, is still in its early stages. The outage underscores vulnerabilities in satellite internet services that depend heavily on software systems, emphasizing the critical need for rapid resolution to restore connectivity for all users, including critical sectors.
The cause of the outage was a software failure affecting the entire Starlink satellite network. Although this is not the first outage for Starlink, it serves as a reminder of the importance of robust software systems in ensuring the uninterrupted service that millions of users around the world rely on.
References:
[1] Starlink Status Page (2025). Retrieved from https://www.starlink.com/status
[2] TechCrunch (2025). Starlink experiences global outage, affecting millions. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/25/starlink-global-outage/
[3] The Verge (2025). Starlink outage: What we know so far. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/25/22628178/starlink-outage-global-elon-musk-spacex-affected-customers
The Starlink network, managed by SpaceX, is critical for various sectors, including the Ukrainian army and airlines that rely on it for communication. In the event of an outage, such as the one that occurred on July 25, 2025, it highlights the potential vulnerabilities in satellite internet services, particularly those depending heavily on software systems. The outage was caused by a software failure affecting the entire Starlink satellite network, reminding us of the importance of robust software systems to ensure the reliable service needed in fields like science, space-and-astronomy, and technology.
