The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that the storm was likely to remain throughout the weekend, posing risks to navigation systems, power grids, and satellites.
Starlink currently operates over 6,000 satellites in low earth orbit. While losing one or two doesn’t mean the entire system goes down, it can lead to gaps in coverage as the satellites orbit over 300 miles above the Earth’s surface.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to X last night to report that the satellite-based internet system was being impacted by the Extreme (G5) rated geomagnetic storm.
“Major geomagnetic solar storm happening right now. Biggest in a long time. Starlink satellites are under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far.”
The company has not provided an estimated time for restoration of full service. As the storm is ongoing, further interruptions may be possible.
