Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, has restored its services after an outage that affected thousands of users around the globe. The company confirmed the resolution of the network issue on Tuesday, stating, “The network issue has been fully resolved,” in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The outage, which lasted for approximately an hour earlier in the day, impacted 41,393 users, according to data from the outage tracking website Downdetector.com. Starlink, which owns around 60% of the roughly 7,500 satellites currently orbiting Earth, has established itself as the dominant player in the satellite internet sphere.
In other news, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday at 10:24 a.m. EDT (1424 GMT). The launch window spanned four hours, beginning at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT). Initially scheduled for Monday (May 27), the launch was postponed, and SpaceX stood down from the attempt.
After approximately 8 minutes following liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage successfully returned to Earth, landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This particular first stage has now accomplished its 10th launch and landing, with six of its nine previous flights dedicated to Starlink missions, according to SpaceX’s mission description.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued its journey, carrying the 23 Starlink satellites to their intended low Earth orbit, where they were expected to be deployed approximately 65 minutes after liftoff. This launch marks SpaceX’s 53rd orbital mission of the year and the 37th in 2024 specifically dedicated to building out the Starlink mega constellation, which currently comprises nearly 6,000 operational satellites.
With ambitious plans to launch around 150 missions this year, as stated by SpaceX representatives, many more launches are anticipated to further expand the Starlink constellation.
Also, to make Starlink’s internet service more accessible, SpaceX is introducing a financing option that allows customers to pay for the required hardware in monthly instalments. Previously, subscribing to Starlink required an upfront payment of $599 for the necessary equipment. However, the company is now offering the option to spread out this cost over 12 months.
On the Starlink.com website, customers can now choose to finance the hardware cost instead of paying the standard $599 upfront fee. The company explains, “Financing is available for customers who prefer to pay for the cost of the Starlink kit over time (12 months). Pay $50/mo for 12 months, plus a one-time activation fee. Total hardware cost: $600.”