It is a claim that serves as the argument's conclusion. It is a claim that provides nonessential background information for the argument's conclusion. It is an unsupported claim that is used to provide support for the argument's conclusion. It is a claim for which the argument provides some support, and which in turn is used to support the argument's conclusion.
Currently, no satellite orbiting Earth is at significant risk of colliding with other satellites or satellite fragments, but the risk of such a collision is likely to increase dramatically in the future. After all, once such a collision occurs, it will probably produce thousands of satellite fragments, each large enough to shatter other satellites. The resulting collisions will produce many more fragments, and so on, causing the space around Earth to become quite heavily cluttered with dangerous debris.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the risk of a satellite orbiting Earth colliding with other satellites or satellite fragments is likely to increase dramatically in the future?