Lucrezia Ciotti The withdrawal of SpaceX , Blue Origin , and two other American companies from the Paris Space Summit is fueling tensions between the United States and Europe. Against this backdrop are alleged pressure from the White House and Europe's challenge for greater autonomy in the space sector.
SpaceX and Blue Origin abandon Paris: pressure attributed to the White House
and Blue Origin, the aerospace companies of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos , have cancelled their participation in the International Space Summit , scheduled for 9 and 10 September 2026 in Paris . The withdrawal, communicated to the French authorities on Thursday 3 September, also concerns Stoke Space , involved in the development of rockets, and Starcloud , a startup that aims to build data centers in space.
This was confirmed by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, when asked by AFP.
According to Politico , citing three anonymous sources, the White House pressured US companies not to participate in the meeting called by Emmanuel Macron, fearing that their presence could be interpreted as support for the political positions of the European Union.
Four sources told Reuters a similar reconstruction : about a week earlier, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) had organized a conference call with several companies in the sector, including SpaceX, expressing strong reservations about participation, but without imposing an explicit ban.
Washington also accused Paris of "anti-competitive practices" and a workshop structure deemed insensitive to the American perspective. The French ministry commented: "It is difficult not to make the connection with the rumors of pressure reported in the press ," reiterating its willingness to collaborate with the United States despite "strategic changes and political pressures that sometimes make the task unnecessarily complex . " The American administration did not directly confirm the accusations and assured that " the Trump administration continues to collaborate with its space allies and partners , " hoping for "productive discussions on key priorities such as space missions, exploration programs, and space security . "
Paris Space Summit: Macron's Challenge for European Autonomy
The first International Space Summit , hosted at the Grand Palais , aims to bring together space powers , public agencies, large private operators, scientists, and military representatives in one place, with around 120 delegations expected. The goal, European officials explained to Reuters , is to foster discussion and debate declarations of intent, not to adopt political or budgetary decisions.
General Philippe Adam , secretary general of the event and former head of the French Space Command, noted that major economic players from the United States and China have also been invited, stressing the importance of broad participation. He had already stated in July: "Of course, the Americans must be there ." The withdrawal of the US giants therefore risks diminishing the political significance of the initiative, which for Macron also represents an opportunity to strengthen the credibility of France and Europe as space powers, equipped with independent launch capabilities and their own global satellite communications system.
As La Tribune notes , the affair reflects the new geopolitical tensions surrounding an increasingly strategic sector. European countries are increasing investments in civilian and military capabilities to reduce dependence on the United States, while Washington is challenging the EU Space Act , the European Commission's proposed regulation on space activities, which it sees as detrimental to American companies. The Franco-German push to allocate more mobile satellite frequencies to European operators, including within the IRIS² network , is further straining relations .
The European Commission, while refraining from commenting on the decisions of US companies, confirmed that President Ursula von der Leyen " intends to be present in person , " accompanied by Vice President Henna Virkkunen and Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius . Spokesperson Thomas Regnier reiterated the need for funding and support for the European space industry to grow and compete globally, concluding with " no comment on the decisions of third countries . "