Starlink outage: Service returns after over two hours down

Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, experienced a global outage on Thursday that lasted for over two hours. The outage was reported around 3:20 PM ET, and Starlink acknowledged it at 4:05 PM ET. Service began to return for some users around 5:30 PM ET, and Starlink's VP of engineering, Michael Nicolls, said the service had "mostly recovered" by 6:23 PM ET. The outage impacted users across the US, Europe, the UK, and Asia, and it could have affected millions of Starlink's over six million active customers globally. Starlink did not initially explain the cause of the outage, but later revealed that it was due to a "failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," rather than any issue with the satellite constellation or other hardware. Starlink is designed to provide internet access in areas where traditional service providers cannot reach, making it a popular choice for van lifers and those living without traditional internet infrastructure. The service has also been partnered with companies like T-Mobile to extend smartphone connectivity outside the bounds of traditional cell networks, but it's unclear how T-Mobile's Starlink service was impacted by the outage.