Starlink faces 'service outage' again: Electromagnetic storm to blame?

Thousands of Starlink users faced a frustrating internet outage on Monday as Elon Musk’s satellite internet service experienced yet another disruption.

According to the outage tracking website Downdetector, nearly 50,000 users reported issues by 10:01 am. The outage affected customers across multiple countries, sparking complaints about lost connectivity and slow speeds.

SpaceX engineers quickly investigated and identified the root cause as a glitch triggered by a software update affecting core network operations.

Despite the interruption, Starlink continues to serve over 6 million customers globally, providing vital internet in remote, rural, and underserved areas.

While Starlink’s network has proven resilient over the years software complexities and external factors like solar weather mean occasional outages are expected.

SpaceX has committed to improving testing protocols and rollback mechanisms to minimise future disruptions and keep users connected.

There are reports that a geomagnetic storm could have knocked out some of its satellites.

"Starlink is currently experiencing a service outage. Our team is investigating," the company said on its website.

Downdetector reported that 59% of users experienced internet issues, while 40% faced a total blackout, with 1% facing poor reception.

The issue affected customers majorly across the US, including Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana, and Washington state. Some users in Colombia also reported losing connectivity.

Some said the service was down for several minutes, and others noted outages lasting more than 20 minutes.

Electromagnetic storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, do affect Starlink and other communication satellites, especially those in low Earth orbit (LEO).

These storms result from intense solar activity, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections, which interact with Earth's magnetic field causing disturbances.

During electromagnetic storms:

“Another Starlink outage AGAIN…. Thought it was mine. Now I see everybody getting problems too,” added another user.

Earlier in July, the internet satellite service faced a global outage for nearly three hours.

Starlink provides internet through a network of satellites orbiting Earth. The company currently operates the world’s largest constellation of satellites, with more than 6,750 in orbit.

It has a presence in 150 countries, including India.

Timeline of notable electromagnetic/solar storm impacts on Starlink and similar constellations:

While most re-entering satellites burn up entirely in the atmosphere, one confirmed Starlink debris fragment was found on a Canadian farm in 2024, showing debris survival is rare, but possible.

As satellite mega-constellations grow, precautions against such natural space weather effects become ever more critical for reliable communication services