France is proceeding with its two-day International Space Summit at Paris’s Grand Palais on Sept. 9 and 10 despite the withdrawal of four major U.S. space companies and the expected absence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The flagship initiative of President Emmanuel Macron was designed to bring policymakers, businesses and scientists from 120 countries, including the United States and China, together to discuss cooperation and regulation. SpaceX and Blue Origin were among the companies that withdrew after White House concerns about the summit’s Europe-leaning agenda, leading to the cancellation of several planned announcements. France says about 2,000 delegates, including representatives of American companies, will still attend. The informal forum is not scheduled to produce formal policy decisions, but France is seeking a declaration on space traffic management, access to space and radio-frequency usage, while private companies may announce new business initiatives. The summit also highlights divisions within Europe over dependence on U.S. launch providers and satellite networks. France backs the European Union’s IRIS² secure constellation, while Germany remains open to SpaceX and is developing its own secure communications network. European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said Europe’s space investment is roughly one-fifth of the U.S. level, while the agency is developing a symbolic program to reduce reliance on American rockets for launching European astronauts.