Question

the trip to mars, using todays rocket technology, would take eight or nine months. for those months, astronauts would endure extremely cramped quarters, packed with essential supplies for living and breathing on a planet that is not naturally habitable by humans. this sort of confinement for such a long time is not something astronauts have experienced before. the cooped - up environs on a rocket to mars would not come close to the relatively comfortable international space station, which contains greenhouses and a gym. on a rocket, each astronauts personal space would be roughly the size of a sports utility vehicle. there is no way to prepare them, here on earth, for the claustrophobia they will undoubtedly suffer. the second paragraph is meant to support the authors main claim that we should not send humans to mars because the costs and risks are too great. whats wrong with the authors argument in the second paragraph? the author does not explain why astronauts would not be able to prepare for cramped conditions on earth. the success of the international space station shows that astronauts can cope with rough conditions. experiences on the international space station are not relevant for astronauts going to mars. the author does not give any evidence that conditions on a rocket to mars would be cramped.

Explanation:

The author claims that astronauts can't prepare for claustrophobia on Earth but doesn't explain why. This is a flaw in the argument as it leaves a key point unsubstantiated.

Answer:

The author does not explain why astronauts would not be able to prepare for cramped conditions on Earth.