SpaceX and Blue Origin withdrew from Macron’s space summit after pressure from the White House
Kyiv • UNN
Four American space companies withdrew from participating in Macron’s summit following alleged pressure from the Trump administration. The event will take place on September 9–10.
Four American space companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, withdrew from French President Emmanuel Macron's space summit in Paris. This happened amid pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to a French ministry official, SpaceX, Blue Origin, rocket manufacturer Stoke Space, and startup Starcloud, which is working to create data centers in space, announced on September 3 that they were canceling their participation.
It is difficult not to link this to the rumors of pressure that have been circulating in the press. We obviously want to continue cooperating with our American partners and allies, even if strategic shifts and political pressure sometimes make the task excessively difficult
The space summit will take place in Paris on September 9–10. Macron seeks to strengthen France's and Europe's positions in the space industry, including by developing independent rocket-launch capabilities and their own satellite communications system to reduce dependence on American technologies.
NASA presented a plan to create a permanent base on the Moon by 203228.05.26, 02:38 • 6342 views
The event is taking place against the backdrop of disputes between the United States and Europe over space policy. Washington opposes the European Commission's proposed EU Space Act, believing that the new rules could put American companies at a disadvantage.
The United States is also irritated by European plans to develop their own satellite networks, in particular IRIS.