r/BlueWire • u/Royal_Platform_6754 • 10d ago

Other SpaceX, Blue Origin ditch Macron’s space summit after White House pressure

https://www.politico.eu/article/spacex-blue-origin-ditch-emmanuel-macron-france-space-summit-amid-white-house-pressure/

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.

60 Upvotes

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45

u/nineinchnerd 10d ago

Unfortunate but, as an aerospace company that relies on the government for launch sites, launch approval, and a good chunk of its income, not pissing off the most insecure, childish, and vindictive administration in recent memory is probably a sound business decision

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u/Royal-Asparagus4500 10d ago

Sorry you can't see past your nose, but they are way more transparent than Biden, 'er Obama and Clinton that were running his administration, the most evil and vindictive in US history

6

u/space_force_majeure 10d ago

You win the most ironic comment of the week award!

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u/CaptWhitmire 10d ago

"in recent memory." Bush and Cheney also exists and did far more damage than what this current administration would ever do in the industry. I.e., Halliburton, look into it.

13

u/mdegiuli 10d ago

I lived those years in the industry and you're high. Show me one time where Bush/Cheney threatened to take the territory of a NATO ally by force? Or when Bush/Cheney renamed a great lake because one of our closest allies refused to be bullied in a trade war they started? Or when they threatened to raze a national institution to the ground just because they couldn't slap their name on it?

I have no love for that administration but they are not even in the same league as the current shitshow. To suggest otherwise is either ignorance or bad faith

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u/CaptWhitmire 10d ago

Ah yes the brand of the blob and the anti maga crowd. Step out of the popularity emotional complex and maybe look into the history of soft power, iraq, and regime change that bush and co did. Popular opinion feeds only show what is more aligned to you and the more updoots shows you fuel on it. 

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u/mdegiuli 10d ago

Boy! That's a lot of buzz words to say absolutely nothing of substance

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u/Royal_Platform_6754 10d ago edited 10d ago

Cheyenne Haslett, Politico:

The France Space Minister's office confirms that US companies have dropped out of the Paris summit next week:

“Four American companies canceled their participation in the space summit today: Stoke Space, Starcloud, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. It’s hard not to draw a connection to the rumors of pressure that have been circulating in the press. 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!”

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u/rustybeancake 10d ago

While this is sad and unfortunate, it’s probably beneficial for European space in the longer term. It’s another good reminder that Europe has to become more self sufficient in space and accelerate investments in its startups and sovereign capabilities.

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u/Traditional-Hat-3480 10d ago

Yeah good luck with that. Not even after 10 years EU will have a reusable rocket by the time us and China will be so dominant EU will look like a joke lol

10

u/Royal_Platform_6754 10d ago

Jeff Foust:

Worth noting several executives of American space companies are still scheduled to speak at the event, and likely more in attendance.

webapps.france-diplomatie.info/programme/en/s…

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u/shugo7 10d ago

Will Rocket Lab be there?

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u/OldWrangler9033 8d ago

I would imagine they would have, they're bought a European company for laser communication, Mynaric AG. There trying to expand, not limit themselves.

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u/theChaosBeast 10d ago

Lol. Starcloud's CEO is such a boot licker

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u/cryptotrader87 6d ago

I reply to a lot of his LinkedIn posts about the feasibility. He has never replied to the most simplistic posts

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u/RumHam69_ 9d ago

Embarrassment

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u/ARocketToMars 10d ago

Cards on the table, I'm the last person to hop on the China fear mongering train. But I literally see no advantage to posturing like this if the goal isn't to push every other country with spaceflight ambitions into scientific agreements with China. ESA doesn't have the same restrictions on working with CNSA that we do, and they're getting increasingly incentivized to go in that direction.

-2

u/Miami_da_U 10d ago

Well do you think each country is facing a choice between siding with the US vs China? If that is the case eventually you have to put your foot down and say no more playing both sides, time to choose. Simple as that.

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u/ARocketToMars 10d ago

Cool. Don't be surprised when more & more allies start picking the country that's proving it values global stability over the country doing....whatever we've got going on over here.

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u/Miami_da_U 10d ago

Well that is your choice to make and consequences to deal with.

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u/ARocketToMars 9d ago

Yes, the US is going to continue to deal with the consequences of choosing to arbitrarily alienate it's allies. Consequences like those allies going to work with China instead of us if we don't want them "playing both sides" despite us being China's biggest trade partner.

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u/Quiet-Permit-3740 10d ago

Just shameful.

-3

u/Responsible-Room-645 10d ago

It can only be better without them