Why Macron’s space summit risks blowing up on the launchpad

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron’s international space summit is not going according to plan. On Friday, the French leader’s office downplayed the last-minute decision by American space giants, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, to skip the event, made under pressure from the White House. The U.S. snub is only one of several challenges facing the gathering on Wednesday and Thursday in the French capital. About 120 international delegations have been invited, with Chinese officials expected to attend. Six participants with first-hand knowledge of the summit’s organization described it to POLITICO as a poorly coordinated event with an unclear outcome. They were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. “It’s falling behind schedule, it hasn’t really been coordinated with the major players in the European space sector, and it’s not entirely clear what its purpose is,” said a senior space expert involved in the summit’s preparation. “And now that the White House has effectively decided to use it against Emmanuel Macron, it’s becoming even more awkward — it shows that, from a diplomatic standpoint, they didn’t do what they should have done,” they added. Next week’s event aims to gather the international community — including leaders, large corporations, startups and researchers — to discuss issues including the regulation of space activities, competitiveness, security and defense, and space exploration. Macron is keen to ensure that France and Europe remain credible space powers, with an independent launch capability and their own global satellite communications system, in an effort to reduce dependence on U.S. technology. The French president’s office insisted Friday that the absence of SpaceX and Blue Origin — two of the world’s leading space companies — will have little impact on the summit. “If certain countries or actors don’t want to participate, in a way, that’s their loss,” an Elysée official told reporters on Friday. “There are American companies participating, and there will be announcements. We are not seeing a trend where the U.S. is turning its back on Europe at this space summit,” said another Elysée official. Amazon’s satellite business Amazon Leo, for example, will be represented by one of its vice presidents, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to POLITICO. ‘Badly managed’ The summit’s outcome is expected include declarations on sharing of scientific space data, allocation of radio satellite frequencies — a controversial matter — and space debris management. However, it’s still unclear at this stage who will sign them. Participants who spoke to POLITICO said there is little clarity about which countries will attend, at what level, the schedule and what to expect. “The structure of this summit — as is often the case with international summits — is rather unconventional, and I’m not sure the Elysée has any real goals other than to showcase France,” said a senior official working on the frequency declaration, who previously participated in the organization of last year’s Paris AI summit. “It will allow France to show that it is a player in the space sector, even though the resources and strategy aren’t keeping pace. And it will allow for some low-level geopolitics, without addressing the real issues surrounding European funding and capabilities,” the official added. The logistics are also chaotic and “last-minute,” the official said. Invitations were only sent over the summer — and some were still being sent as late as Friday — while negotiations on final declarations have already started, two participants said. The guest list also surprised many space officials, as they argued it left out key players. Adding to the confusion, Macron’s adviser in charge of the summit, Claire Vernet-Garnier, left her job one month before the event. In late August, the Elysée organized a briefing to try and prepare for the summit, but