"Might be used as a prop to support policies counter to U.S. interests," Charles Powell warned — a line that has rippled through Washington and Europe and prompted several U.S. commercial space firms to reconsider attending an international summit in France.
What Powell reportedly told U.S. contractors
On Aug. 27, Charles Powell, identified in reporting as the assistant director for space and spectrum in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), told U.S. space companies on a call that attendance at next week’s International Space Summit in France “might be used as a prop to support policies counter to U.S. interests,” according to an industry source quoted by Defense One and first reported by Politico. Companies named as participants on the call included SpaceX, Stoke Space, K2 Space and Astra, all noted in the reporting as competitors for civil and military space contracts.
Companies withdraw and French reaction
Following the outreach, French reporting and international wire coverage said some firms have pulled back. LeMonde reported that SpaceX and Blue Origin are among the companies no longer attending the summit, and an AFP-cited ministry spokesperson told LeMonde, “It's hard not to link it to the rumours of pressure.” The ministry spokesperson added that France “obviously want[s] to continue working with our US partners and allies,” while acknowledging that “strategic about-turns and political pressures sometimes make the task needlessly complex.”
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Get a security leadU.S. government messaging and industry pushback
White House spokespeople did not confirm whether Powell gave the warning and did not provide a rationale for the call when asked, Defense One reported. An OSTP official, speaking to Defense One, framed the broader U.S. posture differently: “The Trump administration continues to collaborate with allies and partners in space,” and that the administration “look[s] forward to productive conversations at the Space Summit on key priorities including science missions, exploration programs, and space security.”
France’s summit and the broader investment context
More than 120 countries are scheduled to attend the International Space Summit in France, according to a government website cited in the reporting. The summit comes as France has stepped up military space investment: French President Emmanuel Macron announced nearly $5 billion in additional military space spending last year. Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, told Defense One that U.S. companies are eager to engage with European decision-makers given those investments, and she characterized the administration’s reported outreach as “a head-scratching decision.” Samson also noted that OSTP, State, Commerce, and NASA were all attending the summit, an observation she said undercuts the rationale for discouraging private-sector participation.
How SpaceX, Blue Origin, the White House, and France are positioned
- SpaceX and Blue Origin: Reported by LeMonde as no longer attending the France summit; their withdrawal is presented in the coverage as a direct consequence of reported pressure or concern about political signalling.
- Smaller U.S. contractors (Stoke Space, K2 Space, Astra): Named participants on the Aug. 27 call who were warned about attending; their presence on the call underscores how competitive bidders for civil and military contracts are being asked to weigh diplomatic optics alongside market opportunity.
- The White House / OSTP: Did not confirm whether the assistant director made the specific warning and offered a public statement emphasizing continued collaboration with allies and a desire for productive summit discussions.
- The French government: Publicly signalled frustration with the apparent pressure through a ministry spokesperson and is proceeding with a summit that Paris expects will draw participation from more than 120 countries.
The immediate record in reporting is narrow but consequential: a senior OSTP official reportedly cautioned U.S. companies about attending a high-profile international summit; prominent U.S. firms subsequently withdrew, and French officials publicly linked those withdrawals to pressure. Industry experts quoted in the coverage framed the move as counterproductive given Paris’s recent military space investments and the presence of multiple U.S. agencies at the summit, while White House spokespeople offered a general statement of continued collaboration without confirming the reported call or explaining its rationale.
The summit, as described in reporting, will go forward with wide international participation, leaving a clear diplomatic and commercial question in its wake: will the firms that stepped back re-engage after the summit, and how will U.S. civil and defense agencies reconcile their own attendance with private-sector reticence? The public record ends with companies pulling out, France pressing for continued partnership, and an OSTP statement underlining ongoing cooperation — a mix of signals that may shape space partnerships in the near term.
