White House urges US space firms to skip Paris summit, sources say

The Trump administration pressured U.S. space companies to skip a Paris space summit organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, causing last-minute changes and cancelled announcements, sources said Thursday. White House officials held a call with companies a week prior, suggesting attendance could imply support for European policies the U.S. opposes. SpaceX will no longer attend, and some planned U.S.-European announcements were cancelled, though officials avoided explicit directives. The September 9-10 summit, featuring Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, aims to boost European space investment and reduce reliance on U.S. firms like SpaceX. France says the informal event will open dialogue among 120 countries without policy decisions.