PARIS [BE Report]: France is moving ahead with an international space summit in Paris this week as President Emmanuel Macron pushes for greater European influence and independence in an increasingly competitive space industry, despite withdrawals by major US companies and the absence of several European leaders.
The International Space Summit, scheduled for September 9 and 10, is intended to bring together government officials, business leaders and scientists from about 120 countries, including the United States and China. Organisers say the meeting will focus on international cooperation, space regulation and the challenges created by the rapid expansion of commercial space activity.
The gathering has faced setbacks ahead of its opening. Concerns from the White House over what US officials viewed as a pro-European agenda led four American space companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, to withdraw from the event, according to people familiar with the matter. Several planned announcements were subsequently cancelled.
European political attendance has also fallen short of expectations. Germany, which is formally co-chairing the summit, said Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not travel to Paris because of other commitments. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also not expected to attend.
The absences highlight differences within Europe over how the region should develop its space capabilities and deal with dominant US companies. France has advocated greater strategic autonomy, while Germany has taken a more open position toward SpaceX, which has established a leading position in the global launch market.
Paris and Berlin have also differed over Europe’s response to Starlink, the satellite communications network operated by SpaceX. Macron has supported the European Union’s IRIS² secure satellite constellation, while Germany has been developing plans for a separate secure network.
Despite the political no-shows and corporate withdrawals, organisers have sought to emphasise the scale of the gathering. Around 2,000 delegates are expected at the Grand Palais, the landmark glass-domed Paris venue constructed more than a century ago. US companies are still expected to be represented among the participants.
The summit is not designed to deliver formal political decisions, but France hopes it will produce broad declarations covering issues including space traffic management, access to orbit and the allocation of limited radio frequencies required for satellite operations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to deliver a keynote policy address on Thursday. China is also expected to participate, although officials have not provided further details about its representation.
Commercial agreements and corporate announcements are another expected feature of the meeting. Organisers hope these announcements will increase the summit’s visibility, following the approach taken at a French artificial intelligence summit last year, where companies announced investment commitments worth billions of euros.
France has long been regarded as Europe’s leading space power, with its capabilities tracing back to its ballistic missile programme in the 1950s. Germany, however, has since become the largest contributor to the European Space Agency.
Europe’s financial commitment to space remains significantly below that of the United States. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher has said European investment in the sector is roughly five times lower than US spending.
Ahead of the summit, Aschbacher said the European Space Agency was preparing proposals aimed at reducing Europe’s dependence on US rockets for sending astronauts into space.
Security is also expected to feature prominently in discussions, alongside broader concerns surrounding Europe’s future position in space, according to Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education.
