SpaceX and Blue Origin pull out of Paris space summit after White House pressure

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PARIS — Four U.S. space companies have decided not to participate in next week’s international space summit in Paris after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration pressured firms to ditch the event.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, rocket maker Stoke Space and Starcloud, a startup that is trying to launch data centers in space, notified French authorities on Thursday that they were “canceling their participation” in the event, according to an official from the French ministry of higher education, research and space.

“It is hard not to draw a connection to the rumors of pressure that have been circulating in the press,” said the official, who was granted anonymity to share sensitive details about the summit.

“We obviously want to continue working with our American partners and allies, even if strategic shifts and political pressures sometimes make the task unnecessarily complex!” the official said, adding that other U.S. companies will participate.

POLITICO has reached out to the four companies for comment.

This developing story will be updated.

Audrey Decker contributed to this report .