Washington, July 25, 2025 – Starlink, the satellite-based internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, experienced a widespread network outage on Thursday, leaving users in the United States and Europe temporarily disconnected.
The disruption began around 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1900 GMT), according to reports compiled by Downdetector, a platform that monitors service issues via real-time user feedback.
The company confirmed the outage via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the Starlink network was down and that engineers were urgently working to identify and resolve the issue.
By approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (2230 GMT), Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering, announced that the service had “mostly recovered.” He attributed the disruption to a failure in key internal software systems responsible for managing the network’s core operations.
“We sincerely apologize for the interruption,” Nicolls wrote on X. “Starlink is committed to delivering a dependable network, and we will conduct a full investigation to prevent this type of outage in the future.”
The outage, which lasted about two and a half hours, sparked frustration among users who rely on Starlink’s network for critical communication, especially in remote and underserved areas where traditional broadband options are limited or nonexistent.
Launched by SpaceX to bridge the global digital divide, Starlink aims to deliver fast, low-latency internet via a growing constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. The company has rapidly expanded its coverage footprint, gaining popularity in regions with unreliable terrestrial connections.
While service is now largely restored, SpaceX has pledged to enhance network reliability and prevent further widespread disruptions.