In space deterrence, what is the role of space resilience?

• A. To deter aggression by denying or constraining opponent's actions in space.
• B. To rely solely on terrestrial defenses for deterrence.
• C. To enhance only the speed of retreat.
• D. To replace all kinetic forces.

Answer: (B)

Space resilience in deterrence means keeping space-enabled capabilities available and recoverable even after an attack. It focuses on making space systems harder to disrupt, easier to survive, and quicker to restore, through redundancy, hardening, diverse paths for sensing and communication, rapid repair, and on‑orbit servicing. When adversaries know space assets can endure and bounce back quickly, the expected payoff of targeting space capabilities drops, strengthening deterrence by showing that disrupting space operations won’t easily deny U.S. or allied advantages.

This isn’t about relying only on land-based defenses; resilience specifically addresses maintaining and restoring space capabilities, which is a core part of how space power contributes to deterrence. It also isn’t about speeding retreat or replacing all kinetic forces—resilience complements other means by ensuring space effects remain available even under pressure, rather than substituting for them.