SpaceX and three other major U.S. space companies canceled their attendance at an international space summit in Paris next week after the White House warned them that participation could signal support for European policies at odds with American interests, according to reports Thursday.
The Trump administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy held a call on Aug. 27 with several U.S. space companies planning to attend the Sept. 9-10 International Space Summit and advised them that attendance might imply endorsement of EU positions, Reuters and Politico reported. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, and Starcloud all notified French authorities on Sept. 3 that they were withdrawing, France’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space confirmed.
The White House’s warning centered on concerns that France organized the summit without U.S. coordination and that the event’s structure might not adequately represent American viewpoints. An OSTP official on the call accused France of “anti-competitive practices” and voiced concern about China’s attendance, according to four people familiar with the conversation.
The cancellations mark a notable diplomatic friction between Washington and a longtime NATO ally. France announced in November 2025 a €4.2 billion increase in military space spending through 2030, part of an effort to build sovereign European space capabilities and reduce dependence on U.S. firms for satellite communications and rocket launches. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to deliver a major speech at the summit.
Despite the administration’s concerns, officials from the White House’s OSTP, State Department, Commerce Department, and NASA are still attending the summit, which is expected to draw delegations from more than 120 countries.
Space policy experts criticized the White House’s approach as counterproductive. Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, told Defense One that the decision appears shortsighted. “I think it’s a head-scratching decision,” Samson said, noting that U.S. companies have significant financial incentives to engage with European decision makers given France and Germany’s recent military space investments. “This just reads like another short-sighted effort by the Trump administration to stir the pot with long-time European allies.”
An industry insider told Defense One that the White House warned companies they “might be used as a prop to support policies counter to U.S. interests.” The same person added: “This is all very unfortunate because France is a country we should be doing more space cooperation with, not less.”
The French government acknowledged the cancellations were linked to U.S. pressure. A ministry spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse that it was “difficult not to link” the withdrawals to reports of White House pressure, and expressed frustration that “strategic about-turns and political pressures sometimes make the task needlessly complex.”
When asked about the call, an OSTP official told Reuters and Defense One that the Trump administration “continues to collaborate with allies and partners in space” and looks “forward to productive conversations at the Space Summit on key priorities including science missions, exploration programs, and space security.” The official noted that companies were not given explicit directives to skip the event, though the framing of the warning led executives to interpret it as a strong discouragement.
Sources
- Reuters — Core reporting on White House pressure, company cancellations, and OSTP rationale
- Politico — Details on the Aug. 27 OSTP call, company list, and accusations against France
- Defense One — Expert commentary from Victoria Samson and industry insiders, White House official statement
- Le Monde — French government confirmation of cancellations and ministry spokesperson reaction
