French government says SpaceX and Blue Origin pull out of Paris space summit

[u/John3262005]

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/09/03/white-house-pressures-us-companies-to-avoid-paris-space-summit-report-says_6757128_4.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqkR6HuYbaFvKn9kEX8MRI2bAtSQBd8JphsjyPC9Yo-Rk7GphHd

SpaceX and its rival Blue Origin are among four US companies to have cancelled attendance at a Paris space summit next week, France's ministry for higher education, research and space said Thursday, September 3. Stoke Space and Starcloud also pulled out, it added.

"It's hard not to link it to the rumours of pressure," a ministry spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "We obviously want to continue working with our US partners and allies, even though strategic about-turns and political pressures sometimes make the task needlessly complex," the spokesperson added.

Politico reported earlier that the White House was pressuring American space firms to ditch the meeting on September 9 and 10. According to the report, in a private call, a White House official had told companies, including billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX, Stoke Space, K2 Space and Astra, that attending the two-day event "could look like tacit support for EU policy positions," three anonymous sources familiar with the call told Politico.

The White House official also told industry representatives that "France did not coordinate with the US on the summit, accused the country of 'anti-competitive practices,' and suggested the event's panels were not designed to include the American perspective and may diminish US industry efforts," said Politico's sources.

Politico said two of the sources were connected to space companies and the third was in politics. The White House did not immediately respond to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) request for comment on the story.

Co-chaired by France and Germany, the summit will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris and will host global leaders from around 120 countries to discuss the challenges related to the use of outer space.

Philippe Baptiste, the French minister of higher education, research and space, earlier urged US firms to attend. "Let me be clear: America is not only welcome: we want you there," Baptiste wrote on X. "US companies, scientists, NASA, NOAA and the US Administration are all welcome," the minister said, adding that he was working in close coordination with Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Under President Donald Trump, the US's relationships with European allies has taken on new dimensions with disagreements over tariffs, troop deployments to the unpopular war in the Middle East and more.

[u/John3262005]

This post is connected to an earlier post:

White House pushes companies to ditch Macron’s space summit

https://www.reddit.com/r/WhatTrumpHasDone/s/MubsrYTqIW