resume service starlink

How to Reactivate Starlink – A Complete Guide

Hank Edwards

March 29, 2023

How to Reactivate Starlink? The ability to pause Starlink services for seasonal use is one of the best advantages over the Residential plan.

More individuals are placing their Starlink internet service subscriptions on hold to minify household expenses.

You are in the right place if you paused your Starlink subscription and want to reactivate it.

Today, I outlined a guide to help you learn how to reactivate Starlink and what to do to get the most out of your Starlink internet experience. 

Table of Contents

Which starlink service can you reactivate, how to activate starlink rv service, understand your network, keep your device updated, invest in a starlink router, use an extender.

A woman holding a phone

Starlink does not permit users to pause or reactivate the Residential service.

Canceling your Starlink Residential completely unsubscribes you from the service.

Not only that, but you also lose your subscription spot on the Starlink waiting list .

If you want to resubscribe to the service after deactivating your account, you may end up on the waitlist if the demand is high in your area.

With Starlink RV, however, you can reactivate a paused account anytime.

If you just got the Starlink kit and want to pause the service within the first month, you must do so within the first seven days.

Otherwise, your charges will be for the entire month.

An RV with Starlink installed

You can pause and reactivate your service anytime without any contract or paying any fees.

Two ways to reactivate Starlink; visiting the customer support page or using the dish.

To reactivate the Starlink RV, follow these steps:

• Log in to your Starlink account.
• Navigate to Support, then to Troubleshooting . It will direct you to the FAQs page.
• Select the related issue, then tap on the thumbs-down button displayed beneath it.
• Fill in the required particulars and complete the form
• Click the submit button. Ensure you are precise.

The service reactivation may take a while before your internet comes back up, up to half an hour.

You will also pay the full monthly charges once you reactivate your account until you deactivate or pause it again.

To reactivate your paused Starlink RV using just the Starlink dish , here are the steps to follow:

• Set up your dish and power it on. Ensure its sky view is clear enough and give it time to scan for satellites.
• Connect to the Starlink RV network using either your phone or tablet.
• Open a browser and navigate the net to Starlink.com.
• Click on login on the menu and enter your details.
• Find the Manage button on your account dashboard.
• Click on the Activate Service and confirm.

Remember that you are not guaranteed to resume Starlink services at the exact charges as before after reactivation. The monthly charges will likely have inflated when you unpause the services.

Note: Starlink may not reactivate the account if you cancel the subscription earlier but continue using your hardware.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Starlink Internet Experience: Tips and Tricks

Humanoid 3D internet rendering

Starlink internet offers a fast and reliable internet connection.

Though the latency is exceptional, there are a few steps users can take to amplify internet performance. Here are some tips and tricks:

Global network

Ensure you know the individual components of your network service.

Understanding the latency and speeds of your network and connected devices can improve your Starlink experience.

Starlink antenna, Wi-Fi router, and a laptop

Check the manufacturer’s website for new firmware updates. Checking for updates guarantees your device’s compatibility with the latest features.

Optimize Your Home Connection

Optimizing your home network, router , and devices is essential to get the most out of it. Starlink internet supports both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. You may link up your internet to 5GHz as it is faster.

Utilize Cloud Storage

The speed and latency of Starlink internet are ideally better for cloud storage. It reduces the amount of locally stored data.

It also clears drive space and improves internet speed.

Use Network Monitoring Tools

Checking your network performance is key in utilizing the internet. The network monitoring tools can aid in checking your network’s speed and bandwidth used.

They can also help in identifying other issues, such as lagging.

Starlink router

Using a Starlink internet router will give the best internet experience.

Using an extender can help boost your network signal strength. It could be helpful, especially for those in areas with signal interferences.

As a Starlink RV user, you have the leverage of not dealing with the expenses of full-time services.

Starlink charges a monthly increment for RV services and enables users to tailor the plan to their needs.

If you paused your Starlink service, you could reactivate it anytime by following the steps covered in our guide.

Can You Pause Residential? Sort Of, Here’s How

Last Updated: January 18, 2024

By: Noah Clarke

One common question I receive from readers is whether or not Starlink Residential can be paused for seasonal use. For example, if I have a vacation home that I only visit during the summer, I don’t want to be paying for internet service the rest of the year when I’m not there.

I know what you’re probably thinking, isn’t that what Starlink Roam is for? One of the features of Roam is the ability to pause and unpause service as needed, but there are also some drawbacks. The main one being the deprioritized service that Roam customers receive. Roam is great for portable use, but in my summer cabin example, I’m not moving around, I just want to pay for Starlink only when I’m there to use it.

In this article, I will explain how to get the best of both worlds. With a simple workaround, you can save money by only paying for Starlink Residential when you need it. I will also go over how to pause and unpause Starlink Roam/Mobile service, in case you decide that is a better option for your situation.

Table of Contents

Can you pause Standard/Residential?

Technically, no, you can’t pause Starlink’s Standard (aka Residential) service. There is no pause button in the account dashboard like there is with Starlink Roam. With a Roam subscription, there is an option to temporarily pause the subscription at the end of the billing cycle. When you need to use it again, there is an option to reactivate service.

There is a way to effectively pause Residential

Thankfully, there is a workaround that will allow you to effectively pause a Residential subscription. With this workaround, you will be able to:

• Stop the monthly billing when you don’t need Starlink internet
• Resume service at any time
• Maintain data priority over Roam users
• Keep your Standard/Residential subscription, without having to change service plans

This workaround is possible because Starlink recently got rid of the waitlist . Before, when Residential service was subject to availability restrictions, you couldn’t cancel your service without the risk of having someone else take your spot. But now, with no availability concerns, you can cancel and reactivate Residential without worrying about the waitlist or capacity restrictions.

Here is how to effectively pause your Residential subscription:

Cancel your Starlink service

When you no longer need Starlink for awhile, the first step is to cancel your current Residential subscription:

• Log in to your account dashboard at Starlink.com
• Under the Your Starlinks section, click Manage on your Residential service plan
• Click Cancel Service
• Choose a reason for cancelling, and hit Confirm

Your Residential service will continue until the end of your billing cycle. After that, you will no longer be billed monthly for service, and you won’t have access to Starlink internet services.

If you are wanting to pause Residential service seasonally, you just need to move to the next section when you are ready to reactivate service.

How to reactivate Starlink service

Ready to start using Starlink again? To reactivate your Residential subscription, follow these steps:

• Log in to your Starlink account dashboard at Starlink.com
• Click on the Manage button for your Starlink under the Your Starlinks section
• Click Activate Service
• On the prompt, click Activate On Standard
• Click Confirm to accept the terms of service and billing amount

Service will start up immediately, and you should be online within a few minutes of reactivating your Residential subscription. If you are having trouble, rebooting your Starlink might help.

You can now use your Residential subscription for as long as you need it. When you are ready to pause it again, go back and repeat the process from the previous section.

How to pause and unpause Starlink Roam/Mobile

If cancelling and reactivating Starlink Residential doesn’t sound like a good fit for your situation, you might be better off with the Starlink Roam service plan (also called Mobile). It’s easy to pause and unpause Roam, right from the Starlink account dashboard.

Pausing service

• Under the Your Starlinks section, click Manage on your Starlink Roam/Mobile service plan
• Click Pause Service
• Click Confirm to proceed

Your Roam service will continue until the end of your current billing cycle. The end date will be displayed on your account dashboard. You can unpause at any time, and billing will resume.

Unpause service

• Click Resume Service

Any service charges due will be displayed, and charged to the payment method on file. You can pause service again at any time. The pause will take place at the end of the current billing cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably have some questions and concerns about this workaround. I’ve compiled some of the common questions here, but feel free to contact me , or comment below, with any additional concerns.

Should I leave my Starlink dish powered on when service is inactive?

I recommend leaving your Starlink system on, even if you aren’t around to use it. Even without an active subscription, your Starlink dish and router will continue to receive software updates . If you won’t have power, or it’s just not feasible to leave it on, that’s fine too. It won’t hurt to leave your Starlink off for long periods of time.

Why not just change to Roam, pause, and then change back?

One other workaround to “pause” a Residential subscription is to change your service plan to Roam and then pause service. When you need service again, unpause, and then change back to Residential. The issue with this method, and why I recommend my method, is because you’ll pay extra when converting from Residential to Roam. Then, when you need to change back, you’ll have to wait up to 30 days (until the end of your billing cycle) before the change from Roam to Residential will occur.

Is there a risk that I won’t be able to reactivate Residential?

As I am writing this article, no, there isn’t a risk of not being able to reactivate Residential service at your Starlink’s location. Starlink recently got rid of capacity restrictions and the waitlist , which was the only thing preventing people from getting Residential service at any address at any time they liked.

The latest Starlink news, reviews, tutorials, and much more!

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10 thoughts on “Can You Pause Residential? Sort Of, Here’s How”

I bought a starlink antenna in Germany and I’m waiting for it to arrive. I would use it in the camper. What I’m interested in is if I use the subscription for the Roam package, does it apply exclusively to one country in the European Union, specifically Germany, or can I use it in to all EU countries. Let’s say I pay for the month of April in Germany and for the next 30 days I can use it in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal. Everything except this detail is absolutely clear to me, but not this. Thank you for your help

The Regional Roam plan works anywhere in Europe if you activate in Germany.

Thank you.. 🙂

Are you able to reactivate the account thru the Starlink dish with the app connected to the router? Or, do you need a separate active internet connection?

You should be able to access Starlink.com through the dish, even if service is not active. I say should, because when I try it, it’s hit or miss. Technically the ability should be there, but I wouldn’t rely 100% on it. Probably best to plan accordingly to activate service before heading out. But in a pinch, if you forget, you can at least try to access your account management through the inactive dish alone.

Thank you for your info. Will internet password and device connections remain the same when I reconnect? I’ll be away from home for 3 months and don’t want to re-setup all my appliances and devices. Thank you.

Yes, all your router settings remain even if service is deactivated.

Great writeup!

Ive been looking for a less risky way to do this!

Keep up the good work.

More of a question. I spend 4 months at a summer residence. Last year I changed to Roam went to summer home and reactivated and vice versa in fall going back to residential. Are you saying I can deactivate, travel for week, reactivate residential at a new address for four months and then reverse the process in the fall and stay at residential rate and priority with two one week pauses for travel? Sounds great as loss of priority was pretty bad on roam. If so, super new service. Thanks for the info and hopefully for affirmative response. Mike Liemandt

During the week pauses, are you traveling to various places with the dish? If not, I recommend just keeping Residential and changing your service address each time you move.

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How much do Starlink plans cost, and are they worth it?

Starlink’s Internet Constellation is one of the biggest breakthroughs in commercial satellite history. It brings nearly broadband-capable speeds and performance using a novel configuration of small satellites that work as a constellation while orbiting the Earth much lower than traditional satellites. It’s also available in many places you simply can’t get fiber, cable, or even DSL high-speed internet access.

We’ve already explained the basics of how Starlink works in a previous article, but how much do Starlink plans cost, and how do they compare with other rural/remote alternatives? Let’s jump right in.

How much do Starlink plans cost? Starlink plans and pricing at a glance

As you can see in the chart, Starlink offers a variety of plans though most have very specific use cases. Regardless of the plan, you should see around 25-50ms latency typically. This is dramatically better than traditional satellite service, which has latency as high as 750ms.

Starlink Residential

This is the plan most home users will want — if they can get it. For the first few years of Starlink’s life, it was really hard to get on the list. These days, availability is much greater globally. Still, for those in the Eastern and Midwest United States, there are still plenty of cells that are overpacked and will require a waiting period.

Providing it is available; you’ll be expected to pay $599 for the actual dish and then $120 a month for the service. Based on my own experience with Starlink Residential, I’ve seen speeds between 50-220Mbps typically. In times of greater congestion, this can drop down to the 20-25Mbps range. On rare occasions, it can go above 220Mbps, but that’s mostly at times like 2 am in the morning. Be sure to check out Starlink’s availability map to see if you can currently get it in your area.

Starlink Business

Starlink Business is designed for business owners and therefore has slightly more priority than Residential. As a result, you can expect more consistent speeds, typically in the 100-220Mbps range. On rare occasions, you might even hit speeds a bit higher, say 300Mbps or so.

Starlink Business doesn’t come cheap.  You’ll pay $250 a month plus a $2,500 equipment fee. This plan is subject to similar availability constraints as the Residential and so there could be a waitlist depending on your region.  Note that you actually can get this plan without paying the high equipment fee by signing up for Starlink Roam and then swapping over to Business within the app’s settings. You’ll get essentially the same performance right now as well.

Starlink Roam

In addition to having access to Starlink Residential, I also have Starlink Roam . While this service is designed for campers and others who only need online access sporadically, it can be used at home or really anywhere. Don’t need it anymore? It’s easy to pause and resume service.

Starlink Roam is subject to the highest level of deprioritization on Starlink’s network. Reportedly you’ll see speeds ranging from 5-220Mbps. At least for me here in mid-Missouri, I typically see speeds in the range of 10-60Mbps most of the time or as little as 4-10Mbps during the peaks. Speeds can dramatically range depending on where you live or are traveling. While speeds might not be the most consistent, the reality is that even its deprioritized speeds are often better than what many of us have access to in extremely remote parts of the US. Hughesnet and others advertise higher speeds, but horrible latency makes the service perform much worse.

With all that out of the way, you’ll pay $150 a month for the service as well as a $599 equipment charge. Want priority data for a project? You can easily turn it on, but it will cost you $2.00 per GB. Additionally, there’s a global plan that includes roaming everywhere in the world for $200 a month.

Starlink Mobility

Starlink Mobility is essentially a premium version of Roam, working anywhere in the world and giving you speeds that are closer to the 100-200Mbps range. Mobility is meant for buses, semi-trucks, and other vehicles where a more consistent experience is required. It would also work well for those who use an RV full-time.

As you can imagine, this premium service doesn’t come cheap. Starlink Mobility will set you back $250 a month with a $2,500 equipment fee. Even then, you might encounter a few Starlink problems . Thankfully, there are plenty of fixes for the issues you may encounter.

Starlink vs other satellite internet providers

If you can’t get traditional wired internet service, satellite internet is one of the best alternatives, as it works just about anywhere. There are certainly other satellite providers out there, but Starlink offers better speeds and latency than traditional satellite providers that use bigger satellites in a further orbit out in space. These services also have data caps, something Starlink originally planned to introduce, but for now, the service remains unlimited.

Here’s a brief rundown of the different plans from Starlink, Viasat, and Hughesnet.

Although the competition can’t beat Starlink on speeds or data, some of Hughesnet and Viasat’s plans are cheaper. They also don’t require you to buy the equipment outright, opting for rental fees instead.

Probably the truly biggest advantage to the older satellite solutions is their availability in the US. There are still parts of the country that are on a waitlist for Starlink but can get service now with Viasat or Hughesnet. Even then, we’d recommend the Starlink Roam plan over regular satellite service. There’s no waitlist at all. As a former Hughesnet owner, I can confirm that Starlink Roam still typically performs better than traditional satellites. Sure, Roam can go as low as 5Mbps, but the better latency means it handles streaming and other tasks better.

Starlink vs 5G/LTE providers

For those close enough to cell towers, there’s another option, fixed wireless internet or a mobile hotspot that uses 4G or 5G technology. If you’re considering Starlink or satellite, odds are you aren’t in a market with 5G internet access. Typically these services are limited to cities and major metro areas. That leaves us with LTE . Unless you live in a very remote part of the country, there’s a solid chance you will get LTE access. Just be aware you’ll likely see less than typical speeds if you live in an area far from satellites or with a lot of obstructions.

For example, I live in the woods in central Missouri, not far from St Louis. I can’t get fixed internet access due to too many obstructions. However, I can use a hotspot with limited success. My Verizon hotspot tends to range 2-15Mbps here, while it can get 15-30Mbps in the nearest town. While that’s not great speed, it was still better for stuff that required decent latency, like streaming Netflix .

There are a ton of different regional LTE fixed internet options as well as tons of hotspot plans, so we can’t break it all down. We recommend checking out our guide to the best hotspot plans for mobile LTE. For fixed wireless, you’ll want to head over to Google and type something like “Fixed wireless near me” . Still, to help you understand what prices you might encounter, we’ve broken down T-Mobile and Verizon’s LTE fixed wireless below:

As you can see, speeds and pricing are pretty similar between T-Mobile and Verizon . While Starlink has faster speeds and better latency in most situations, it’s also a lot less consistent. Even more importantly, you can get fixed LTE wireless for a fraction of what Starlink plans cost. Looking at a few regional carriers across the US, I found similar pricing and speeds, with the average cost around $40-$50. Head to T-Mobile to see if their fixed wireless is available in your area, or to Verizon to check for Big Red availability in your area.

Ultimately, Starlink plans are going to cost more but also be faster than all of these other options. LTE will certainly come the closest, but it depends on how close you live to a city or a larger town. It’s also going to cost you much more. As always, you’ll want to weigh your options before picking out a new internet service provider.

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SpaceX Starlink launch on Sept. 13. Screenshot via SpaceX.

SpaceX resumed Starlink launches on Monday, launching a batch of 51 Starlink satellites to Polar Orbit, equipped with optical inter-satellite links. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 8:55 p.m. PDT, carrying 51 Starlink satellites to space. Satellite deployment was confirmed about 26 minutes into the mission.

This was the first Starlink launch since May 26, as Starlink launches have been on a hold until the laser terminal batch was ready, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell said at Space Symposium in August .

Propulsion engineer Youmei Zhou called this batch of Starlink satellites a “huge leap forward” in the Monday launch webcast. These satellites will communicate directly with each other through inter-satellite links, instead of through Radio Frequency communications with a ground station.

“Fewer pings to ground stations mean Starlink will be able to both expand and improve service, especially in very remote areas,” Zhou said. “All future Starlink satellites will feature optical space lasers.”

The launch was also the first-ever Starlink launch from the West Coast at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which Zhou said is ideal for payloads going to Polar Orbit.

“By launching to a polar orbit, these satellites will be able to see almost all the way to the poles, providing near global coverage. This means Starlink will be able to expand service in Alaska, Scandinavia, and other polar regions,” Zhou said.

Starlink beta service is currently available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Isle of Man, Jersey, Australia, Austria, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Portugal, Chile, and Poland. SpaceX says that more than half a million people have placed an order or put down a deposit for Starlink and more than 100,000 user terminals have shipped.

SpaceX executives appeared last week at SATELLITE 2021, to discuss growth strategies for satellite operators , and how satellite fits into the larger telecoms ecosystem .

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Starlink for mobile —

Starlink mobile plans hit snag as fcc dismisses spacex spectrum application, spacex application tossed but firm will get another shot in spectrum rulemaking..

Jon Brodkin - Mar 27, 2024 9:10 pm UTC

Starlink's mobile ambitions were dealt at least a temporary blow yesterday when the Federal Communications Commission dismissed SpaceX's application to use several spectrum bands for mobile service.

SpaceX is seeking approval to use up to 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites with spectrum in the 1.6 GHz, 2 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands. SpaceX could still end up getting what it wants but will have to go through new rulemaking processes in which the FCC will evaluate whether the spectrum bands can handle the system without affecting existing users.

The FCC Space Bureau's ruling dismissed the SpaceX application yesterday as "unacceptable for filing." The application was filed over a year ago.

The FCC said the SpaceX requests "do not substantially comply with Commission requirements established in rulemaking proceedings which determined that the 1.6/2.4 GHz and 2 GHz bands are not available for additional MSS [mobile-satellite service] applications."

T-Mobile deal still on, but SpaceX wants more capacity

The FCC order won't stop SpaceX's partnership with T-Mobile, which uses T-Mobile's licensed spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band . In January, Starlink demonstrated the first text messages sent between T-Mobile phones via one of Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites. Texting service for T-Mobile users is expected sometime during 2024, with voice and data service beginning later.

But SpaceX wants to use more spectrum bands to increase capacity in the US and elsewhere. Space has Starlink partnerships with several carriers outside the US.

SpaceX filed its application in February 2023. "Granting this application will enable SpaceX to augment its MSS capabilities and leverage its next-generation satellite constellation to provide increased capacity, reduced latency, and broader service coverage for mobile users across the United States and the world, including those users underserved or unserved by existing networks," the application said.

Dish Network owner EchoStar is angry that the FCC is still entertaining SpaceX's request for the 2 GHz band. "The FCC should immediately dismiss SpaceX's petition for rulemaking without seeking comment, because the mere action of seeking comment would provide it with undeserved credibility and threaten the certainty that has allowed EchoStar to innovate in this band leading to significant public interest benefits," the company told the FCC yesterday .

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One Satellite Signal Rules Modern Life. What if Someone Knocks It Out?

Threats are mounting in space. GPS signals are vulnerable to attack. Their time-keeping is essential for stock trading, power transmission and more.

In this long exposure, a string of SpaceX Starlink satellites passed over an old stone house in 2021 near Florence, Kan. Credit... Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

Supported by

By Selam Gebrekidan ,  John Liu and Chris Buckley

• Published March 28, 2024 Updated March 30, 2024

The United States and China are locked in a new race, in space and on Earth, over a fundamental resource: time itself.

And the United States is losing.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

Open this article in the New York Times Audio app on iOS.

Global positioning satellites serve as clocks in the sky, and their signals have become fundamental to the global economy — as essential for telecommunications, 911 services and financial exchanges as they are for drivers and lost pedestrians.

But those services are increasingly vulnerable as space is rapidly militarized and satellite signals are attacked on Earth.

Yet, unlike China, the United States does not have a Plan B for civilians should those signals get knocked out in space or on land.

The risks may seem as remote as science fiction. But just last month, the United States said that Russia may deploy a nuclear weapon into space , refocusing attention on satellites’ vulnerability. And John E. Hyten , an Air Force general who also served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and who is now retired, once called some satellites “big, fat, juicy targets.”

Tangible threats have been growing for years.

Russia, China, India and the United States have tested antisatellite missiles, and several major world powers have developed technology meant to disrupt signals in space. One Chinese satellite has a robotic arm that could destroy or move other satellites.

Other attacks are occurring on Earth. Russian hackers targeted a satellite system’s ground infrastructure in Ukraine , cutting off internet at the start of the war there. Attacks like jamming, which drowns out satellite signals, and spoofing, which sends misleading data, are increasing, diverting flights and confounding pilots far from battlefields.

If the world were to lose its connection to those satellites, the economic losses would amount to billions of dollars a day.

Despite recognizing the risks, the United States is years from having a reliable alternative source for time and navigation for civilian use if GPS signals are out or interrupted, documents show and experts say. The Transportation Department, which leads civilian projects for timing and navigation, disputed this, but did not provide answers to follow-up questions.

A 2010 plan by the Obama administration, which experts had hoped would create a backup to satellites, never took off. A decade later, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that said that the disruption or manipulation of satellite signals posed a threat to national security. But he did not suggest an alternative or propose funding to protect infrastructure.

The Biden administration is soliciting bids from private companies, hoping they will offer technical solutions. But it could take years for those technologies to be widely adopted.

Where the United States is lagging, China is moving ahead, erecting what it says will be the largest, most advanced and most precise timing system in the world.

It is building hundreds of timing stations on land and laying 12,000 miles of fiber-optic cables underground, according to planning documents, state media and academic papers. That infrastructure can provide time and navigation services without relying on signals from Beidou, China’s alternative to GPS. It also plans to launch more satellites as backup sources of signals.

“We should seize this strategic opportunity, putting all our efforts into building up capabilities covering all domains — underwater, on the ground, in the air, in space and deep space — as soon as possible,” researchers from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a state-owned conglomerate, wrote in a paper last year .

China retained and upgraded a World War II-era system, known as Loran, that uses radio towers to beam time signals across long distances. An enhanced version provides signals to the eastern and central parts of the country, extending offshore to Taiwan and parts of Japan. Construction is underway to expand the system west.

Russia, too, has a long-range Loran system that remains in use. South Korea has upgraded its system to counter radio interference from North Korea.

The United States, though, decommissioned its Loran system in 2010, with President Barack Obama calling it “obsolete technology.” There was no plan to replace it.

In January, the government and private companies tested an enhanced version of Loran on U.S. Coast Guard towers. But companies showed no interest in running the system without government help , so the Coast Guard plans to dispose of all eight transmission sites.

“The Chinese did what we in America said we would do,” said Dana Goward, the president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation in Virginia. “They are resolutely on a path to be independent of space.”

What Is the United States Doing?

Since Mr. Trump’s executive order, about a dozen companies have proposed options, including launching new satellites, setting up fiber optic timing systems or restarting an enhanced version of Loran. But few products have come to market.

A private firm, Satelles, working with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado, has developed an alternative source for time using satellites that were already orbiting about 485 miles above Earth.

N.I.S.T. scientists say the signals are a thousand times stronger than those from GPS satellites, which orbit more than 12,000 miles above Earth. That makes them harder to jam or spoof. And because low-Earth-orbit satellites are smaller and more dispersed, they are less vulnerable than GPS satellites to an attack in space.

The satellites obtain time from stations around the world, including the N.I.S.T. facility in Colorado and an Italian research center outside Milan, according to Satelles’s chief executive, Michael O’Connor.

China has similar plans to upgrade its space-time system by 2035. It will launch satellites to augment the Beidou system, and the country plans to launch nearly 13,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit.

China says its investments are partly motivated by concerns about an American attack in space. Researchers from China’s Academy of Military Sciences have said that the United States is “striving all-out” to build its space cyberwarfare abilities, especially after the war in Ukraine brought “a deeper appreciation of the critical nature of space cybersecurity.”

The United States has increased its spending on space defense , but Space Force, a branch of the military, did not answer specific questions about the country’s antisatellite abilities. It said it was building systems to secure the nation’s interests as “space becomes an increasingly congested and contested domain.”

Separate from civilian use, the military is developing GPS backup options for its own use, including for weapons like precision-guided missiles. Most of the technologies are classified, but one solution is a signal called M-code, which Space Force says will resist jamming and perform better in war than civilian GPS. It has been plagued by repeated delays , however.

The military is also developing a positioning, timing and navigation service to be distributed by low-Earth-orbit satellites.

Other countermeasures look to the past. The U.S. Naval Academy resumed teaching sailors to navigate by the stars.

What Happens if the U.S. Doesn’t Find a Solution?

Satellite systems — America’s GPS, China’s Beidou, Europe’s Galileo and Russia’s Glonass — are the important sources of time, and time is the cornerstone of most methods of navigation.

In the American GPS system, for example, each satellite carries atomic clocks and transmits radio signals with information about its location and the precise time. When a cellphone receiver picks up signals from four satellites, it calculates its own location based on how long it took for those signals to arrive.

Cars, ships and navigation systems on board aircraft all operate the same way.

Other infrastructure relies on satellites, too. Telecom companies use precise time to synchronize their networks. Power companies need time from satellites to monitor the state of the grid and to quickly identify and investigate failures. Financial exchanges use it to keep track of orders. Emergency services use it to locate people in need. Farmers use it to plant crops with precision.

A world without satellite signals is a world that is nearly blind. Ambulances will be delayed on perpetually congested roads. Cellphone calls will drop. Ships may get lost. Power outages may last longer. Food can cost more. Getting around will be much harder.

Yet, some critical civilian systems were designed with a flawed assumption that satellite signals would always be available , according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

That reliance can have dire consequences. A recent report from Britain showed that a weeklong outage of all satellite signals would cost its economy nearly $9.7 billion. An earlier report put the toll on the U.S. economy at $1 billion a day, but that estimate is five years old.

“It’s like oxygen, you don’t know that you have it until it’s gone,” Adm. Thad W. Allen, a former commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard who leads a national advisory board for space-based positioning, navigation and timing, said last year.

For now, mutually assured losses deter major attacks. Satellite signals are transmitted on a narrow radio band, which makes it difficult for one nation to jam another’s satellite signals without shutting off its own services.

Having GPS for free for 50 years has “gotten everybody addicted,” according to Mr. Goward from the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation. The government has not done enough to make alternatives available to the public, he said.

“It’s only admiring the problem,” he said, “not solving the problem.”

Read by Selam Gebrekidan

Audio produced by Sarah Diamond .

Selam Gebrekidan is an investigative reporter for The Times whose work focuses on accountability — of governments, companies and people who wield power. More about Selam Gebrekidan

John Liu covers China and technology for The Times, focusing primarily on the interplay between politics and technology supply chains. He is based in Seoul. More about John Liu

Chris Buckley , the chief China correspondent for The Times, reports on China and Taiwan from Taipei, focused on politics, social change and security and military issues. More about Chris Buckley

What’s Up in Space and Astronomy

Keep track of things going on in our solar system and all around the universe..

Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other 2024 event  that’s out of this world with  our space and astronomy calendar .

A new set of computer simulations, which take into account the effects of stars moving past our solar system, has effectively made it harder to predict Earth’s future and reconstruct its past.

Dante Lauretta, the planetary scientist who led the OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a handful of space dust , discusses his next final frontier.

A nova named T Coronae Borealis lit up the night about 80 years ago. Astronomers say it’s expected to put on another show  in the coming months.

Voyager 1, the 46-year-old first craft in interstellar space which flew by Jupiter and Saturn in its youth, may have gone dark .

Is Pluto a planet? And what is a planet, anyway? Test your knowledge here .

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Double Launch: SpaceX launches more than 20 Starlink satellites

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Florida’s rocket lovers got a rare treat as SpaceX launched its second liftoff on Saturday evening with a Starlink mission.

What You Need To Know

This was the second florida launch for saturday evening. the liftoff took place at space launch complex 40 at cape canaveral space force station get more space coverage here   ▶.

Liftoff of Falcon 9, marking 260 reflights of Falcon boosters since our first one seven years ago today! pic.twitter.com/A12OqppvaU — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 31, 2024

After leaving Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket sent more than 20 Starlink satellites to orbit at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The near-hour launch window opened at 9:02 p.m. ET but it was pushed back. The California-based company had until 10 p.m. ET until the launch window closed, stated SpaceX .

Liftoff conditions were good as the 45th Weather Squadron gave about a 95% chance of good launch conditions with the only concern being the thick cloud layers rule.

The Starlink 6-45 mission was the second SpaceX launch for Saturday night, with the first one sending up the Eutelsat 36D satellite .

The last time SpaceX did a double launch in Florida was in July 2023: The JUPITER 3 mission and a Starlink mission .

And if we are keeping score, SpaceX as a whole will have three launches on Saturday, with the other one, a Starlink mission, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California .

Ready to launch

Not counting this launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1067 has 17 successful missions on its resume.

• Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G
• Eight Starlink missions

After the stage separation, the first-stage booster landed on A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Falcon 9 completes this booster’s 18th launch and landing and our 290th Falcon landing overall pic.twitter.com/4z3Gcrh7LG — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 31, 2024

About the mission

Going to low-Earth orbit, 23 Starlink satellites will join the thousands of others to provide internet services across parts of the round Earth.

Starlink is a company owned by SpaceX.

Before this launch, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Dr. Jonathan McDowell  documented the following Starlink satellites stats .

• 5,677 are in orbit
• 5,610 in working order
• 5,162 are in operational orbit

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BA, easyJet and Wizz Air resume flights to and from Israel

Virgin Atlantic to restart services in September, almost a year after airlines suspended flights owing to Gaza war

Business live – latest updates Middle East crisis – live updates

Major European airlines have started to resume flights to and from Israel, with Wizz Air, easyJet and British Airways all now flying to Tel Aviv, and Virgin Atlantic planning a resumption later this year.

Wizz Air said on Wednesday it had restarted flights to Israel from six airports in March, with plans to resume operations on further routes during the next three months. This will include the resumption of flights from Gatwick to Tel Aviv, as well as 16 other paused routes.

Most big airlines suspended services to Israel and some surrounding areas after the start of the Gaza war in October. They are only now returning.

BA resumed flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport on Monday but with a reduced service of one daily plane four days a week. EasyJet restarted its services to Israel on 25 March,returning to it prewar schedule.

In January easyJet revealed that the Middle East crisis had cost it more than £40m in lost trading, as flights were suspended and demand weakened.

Ryanair has also been significantly affected by the war, and revealed on Wednesday it had been forced to cancel 950 flights since October. The airline resumed flights to Ben Gurion at the start of February but suspended them again at the end of the month after a dispute over which terminal it could use.

Ryanair complained that the airport had closed its low-cost terminal 1, which meant the airline was being forced to use terminal 3, which costs more in fees.

Virgin Atlantic has said it plans to resume flights to Israel in September after initially earmarking March for a restart. The airline said: “After careful consideration, we have taken the difficult decision to extend our pause on flying to and from Tel Aviv up to and including 4 September 2024.

“We sincerely apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused and our teams will be in contact with anyone affected to discuss their options, which include rebooking to a later date or a full refund.”

Virgin Atlantic posted annual accounts on Wednesday that showed a loss of £139m for the year to 31 December, an improvement on the £206m loss it made in 2022.

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It said continued cost discipline and cash protection meant it expected to return to profitability next year.

Oliver Byers, Virgin Atlantic’s chief financial officer, said the continued losses were largely due to interest charges incurred from loans taken on during the pandemic, as well as £100m of debt repaid to lenders in 2023.

• Airline industry
• Israel-Gaza war
• British Airways
• Virgin Atlantic

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Dutch airline KLM misled customers with vague green claims, court rules

UK government under pressure from Tories to stop arming Israel

Seven Gaza aid workers including UK, US and Australian citizens killed in Israeli strike, charity says

EasyJet joins calls for UK government to help fund hydrogen-powered flight

United Airlines CEO vows to review recent safety incidents and learn ‘the right lessons’

Zomi and her colleagues were saving lives. Their deaths deserve our outrage

Qantas workers suffered depression after being illegally sacked, compensation hearing told

Today in Focus Israel divided: Netanyahu’s coalition crisis

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Local security forces brought 15 men to a military enlistment office after a mass brawl at a warehouse of the Russian Wildberries company in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast on Feb. 8, Russian Telegram channel Shot reported .

29 people were also taken to police stations. Among the arrested were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

A mass brawl involving over 100 employees and security personnel broke out at the Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal on Dec. 8.

Read also: Moscow recruits ‘construction brigades’ from Russian students, Ukraine says

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron !

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

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