Which action is included in Krepon, Hitchens, and Katz's hedging strategy for space security?

• A. Posturing kinetic weapons in space and informing other states they must clear their space launch manifests with the United States.
• B. The development of ground-based space weapons.
• C. Putting U.S. vehicles in the Lagrange libration Points before any potentially hostile state occupies them.
• D. The development of a constellation of orbital lasers.

Answer: (B)

Hedging in space security means keeping options open across different domains so you aren’t locked into one path if threats or treaties shift. Developing ground-based space weapons fits this idea because it provides a terrestrial option to deter or counter space threats without relying on weapons deployed in orbit. This kind of capability helps maintain deterrence and resilience even if space systems are compromised, denied, or restricted, by giving you a non-space means to respond. It broadens safeguards against a range of uncertainties—flight paths, defenses, or treaty constraints—without precipitating a full move to space-based weaponry. The other options describe putting weapons in space or prepositioning assets in space, which aligns more with extending warfare into orbit or prioritizing space-based posture, rather than offering a terrestrial hedge that preserves options. So the development of ground-based space weapons embodies the hedging approach by keeping non-space, yet effective, capabilities ready to counter space threats.