Trump White House just tossed a grenade into international space relations
“Let me be clear: America is not only welcome—we want you there.”
TL;DR
- US space companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, withdrew from a French Space Summit.
- The White House reportedly pressured US companies to skip the event organized by French President Emmanuel Macron.
- Concerns were raised that the summit might adopt policies unfavorable to US companies, such as spectrum sharing.
- The US government advised companies that attending might not be in their best interests.
- The withdrawal could negatively impact transatlantic space industry relationships and Europe's incentive to buy US space products.
- The White House's actions may align with a strategy to antagonize allies and potentially aid Russia.
- Traditionally, space has been a unifying force in geopolitics, but the current administration appears to be using it divisively.