SpaceX’s Starlink faced a significant international outage recently due to an internal software failure, impacting tens of thousands of users—a rare disruption for Elon Musk’s burgeoning satellite internet service.
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Users across the United States and Europe began reporting issues around 7 PM Irish time, with Downdetector, a crowd-sourced outage tracker, noting as many as 61,000 reports from affected users.
With over 6 million subscribers across approximately 140 countries, Starlink took to its X account to acknowledge the situation, stating, “We are actively implementing a solution.”
According to Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering, service was largely restored after about 2.5 hours. He provided updates on the platform X, showcasing the team’s commitment to resolving the situation swiftly.
Elon Musk personally addressed the outage as well, stating, “Sorry for the outage. SpaceX will remedy the root cause to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” This level of transparency reflects Musk’s dedication to maintaining user trust during such disruptions.
This outage, while concerning, is an anomaly for SpaceX’s most commercially vital service and led to speculation among experts. Some posited that the interruption could stem from a glitch, a problematic software update, or even a cyberattack.
Doug Madory, an analyst at Kentik, noted, “This is likely the longest outage ever for Starlink, at least while it became a major service provider.” Such comprehensive interruptions are indeed rare for a service known for its robustness.
In recent months, as Starlink has seen its user base expand, SpaceX has been diligently updating its network to meet the growing demands for higher speeds and bandwidth. Additionally, in collaboration with T-Mobile, the company is working on deploying larger, more powerful satellites to enable direct-to-cell text messaging services—particularly advantageous for users in remote areas.
Since 2020, SpaceX has launched over 8,000 Starlink satellites, establishing a uniquely distributed network in low-Earth orbit that has caught the interest of various sectors including military operations, transportation, and consumers in regions struggling with traditional, fiber-optic internet access.
Gregory Falco, Director of a space and cybersecurity lab at Cornell University, speculated on the root cause of the outage, comparing it to the well-known cybersecurity incident involving CrowdStrike. “I’d speculate this is a bad software update, not entirely dissimilar to the CrowdStrike mess with Windows last year, or a cyberattack,” he remarked.
Last year, an update to CrowdStrike’s widely used cybersecurity software resulted in significant airline disruptions and handled millions of devices across various industries. It remains uncertain if this outage had repercussions on SpaceX’s other satellite-supported services, including Starshield, which manages multimillion-dollar contracts with the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies.
In conclusion, while this outage may raise eyebrows, it provides an opportunity for SpaceX to reinforce its infrastructure and enhance the reliability of its innovative satellite internet service.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
