White House tells US space firms to skip Macron's Paris summit

The White House is urging American space firms, including SpaceX, to skip French President Emmanuel Macron's Paris summit next week, citing concerns over tacit support for EU policies. Officials also cited a lack of US coordination and anti-competitive practices by France. In a private call, a White House science and technology policy official told companies like Stoke Space, K2 Space, and Astra that attendance could imply endorsement of EU positions, though the decision was left to them. The official also said France failed to coordinate and that panels excluded American perspectives. The French-German co-chaired summit at the Grand Palais will host leaders from about 120 countries to discuss outer space challenges. A French official said Americans need to be there, while US-European relations face strains over tariffs and other disputes under President Donald Trump.