Four American firms skipped Macron's space summit, and are due back in Paris a week later

SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space and Starcloud pulled out of Macron’s Paris space summit after White House pressure, though several are expected back in the city days later for World Space Business Week. Organisers describe the event as behind schedule and unclear in purpose, while Washington lobbies against the EU Space Act.

Four American space companies pulled out of Emmanuel Macron’s Paris space summit after pressure from the White House. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space and Starcloud told French authorities on Thursday, Politico reported.

The summit runs on 9 and 10 September. About 120 international delegations have been invited, and Chinese officials are expected to attend.

The boycott is not the summit’s biggest problem. Six people with first-hand knowledge of the organisation told Politico it is behind schedule, poorly coordinated with Europe’s main space players and unclear in purpose.

One called it the worst Macron-organised summit they had seen. Invitations went out over the summer and some were still being sent on Friday, while negotiations on the final declarations had already started.