Several major US space companies abruptly withdrew from a high-profile French space summit this week, following guidance from the White House. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, K2, and Starcloud all pulled out of the event organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, marking a rare moment of friction in the typically measured world of international space policy.
The companies largely exited the Paris gathering without public comment, though some US representation remains on the two-day program. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, or OSTP, led a call with US space firms late last week, according to multiple sources. That call was convened in response to questions from US industry about the French meeting, which falls outside the traditional circuit of international space conferences.
What Is the Space Summit?
Macron first outlined his plans in a June 2025 speech focused on the importance of space to defense and Europe’s need to stay competitive in the domain. He said France would hold a Space Summit at the start of 2026 to consolidate French and European space strategy and to “mobilize our public and private partners from around the world.” France later named prominent space figures, including astronaut Thomas Pesquet and entrepreneur Hélène Huby, as special envoys.
The event eventually slipped from the spring to the fall. In the meantime, US companies received invitations, and their government relations teams reached out to the White House OSTP with questions about the nature of the summit.
Why US Companies Backed Out
White House officials grew concerned that the summit was not a standard space industry trade show or conference. Instead, they believed it could produce policy prescriptions around contentious issues such as the sharing of spectrum. US officials worried that at the summit’s conclusion, European space authorities might move to adopt policies that were not necessarily favorable to American companies.
That prompted the teleconference between the OSTP and several US space firms. During the call, government relations officials were advised that US companies should not necessarily expect fair treatment and could be pressured to endorse policy positions that misrepresent their preferences. The firms were not ordered to withdraw. Instead, they were told that attending might not be in their best interests.
After news of the call surfaced, France’s cabinet-level space minister, Philippe Baptiste, urged American firms to attend anyway. “Let me be clear: America is not only welcome—we want you there,” he wrote on X. “This summit brings all major space powers to the table—science, exploration, security, telecom, SSA, and everything that matters.” By then, the companies had already stepped back.
For these firms, the decision was relatively straightforward. The US government is one of their most important customers, and in many cases the most important, making it costly to move against Washington’s guidance. Politico first reported the diplomatic turmoil, noting that the White House pressured US space companies to skip the Paris event, which is scheduled to run for two days next week.
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Image: arstechnica.com
