To mitigate the growing hazard of space debris, a international maritime regulatory body proposed that commercial satellite operators should be mandated to equip all low-Earth orbit spacecraft with automated propulsive deorbiting modules. Opponents of this proposal argue that installing these modules substantially increases spacecraft weight and manufacturing costs, potentially threatening the financial viability of private space ventures. However, uncontrolled collisions in crowded orbits generate self-sustaining debris cascades that permanently destroy critical satellite communications corridors, resulting in global systemic costs far greater than the expense of onboard hardware. Therefore, adopting the proposed mandate is ultimately the most economically sound strategy for preserving orbital infrastructure.
In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
- AThe first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a counterexample presented to undermine an opposing position.
- BThe first is a judgment advanced by opponents of the regulatory plan; the second is an intermediate conclusion drawn to support those opponents' claim.
- The first is a proposed policy whose merits are evaluated in the argument; the second is evidence presented to support the author's final conclusion in favor of that policy.Answer
- DThe first provides factual background context that the author seeks to refute; the second is an intermediate conclusion supporting a different course of action.
- EThe first is a plan that the author opposes; the second is a consideration offered to show that the plan cannot be successfully implemented.