Key facts
- SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, and Starcloud withdrew from the Paris space summit.
- The U.S. administration allegedly pressured companies not to attend.
- The summit aims to discuss declarations of intent regarding civil and military space capabilities.
- Some planned announcements between European and U.S. companies have been cancelled due to the withdrawals.
Four U.S. space companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, have withdrawn from an international space summit in Paris scheduled for September 9-10. The companies informed French authorities of their decision on Thursday. A French government official suggested the withdrawals were linked to alleged pressure from the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump. The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy reportedly hosted a call with several U.S. space companies a week prior, suggesting their attendance could imply support for European policy positions that the U.S. disagrees with. Some announcements planned for the summit between European and U.S. companies have since been cancelled. The summit, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to foster dialogue on civil and military space capabilities and reduce reliance on U.S. firms.