More than 120 countries are attending the symposium in Paris.
09/02/2026 8:07 PM UTC
The White House pressured U.S. space companies to skip French President Emmanuel Macron’s space summit in Paris next week — a surprise move that left company executives confused about what they should do.
An official within the White House’s office of science and technology policy told several companies, including SpaceX, Stoke Space, K2 Space and Astra, on a private call Thursday that attending the two-day summit at Paris’ Grand Palais could look like tacit support for EU policy positions, according to two industry representatives and a congressional staffer familiar with the call.
While the White House official emphasized that the decision to attend or not is ultimately up to the companies, the people said it appeared like the administration was discouraging attendance at the event — which is expected to include more than 120 countries. The people were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the call.
The American brushback comes as ties between the U.S. and its European allies are increasingly strained amid fights over tariffs, American troop deployments on the continent and the Iran war. It’s also noteworthy given that Macron and President Donald Trump have historically had a chummy relationship, with the French leader threading the needle between criticizing the American president and provoking his ire.