Four American aerospace firms have abruptly pulled out of a major space summit in Paris, leaving organizers scrambling just days before the event opens. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, and Starcloud all notified French officials Thursday that they would no longer attend.
The withdrawals carry significant diplomatic weight. The summit, organized under the auspices of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, was meant to showcase transatlantic cooperation in the commercial space sector. Instead, it now faces a conspicuous absence from some of the industry’s most prominent players.
French authorities pointed to pressure from the Trump administration as the likely catalyst. A ministry official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Politico Europe that it was “hard not to see a connection” between the cancellations and reports of White House efforts to persuade companies to withdraw.
SpaceX belongs to Elon Musk, while Blue Origin is Jeff Bezos’s venture. Stoke Space builds rockets, and startup Starcloud focuses on deploying data centers in orbit. None of the four companies responded to requests for comment.
Despite the defections, other U.S. firms will still participate in the Paris event. French officials emphasized their commitment to maintaining partnerships with American allies, even as political headwinds make such collaboration harder.
The cancellations highlight growing friction between Washington and European capitals over space policy and commercial priorities. As a result, next week’s summit will proceed with a notably thinner American delegation, raising questions about the future of joint space initiatives.
