Hydroponics was another
favourite of the prediction set, though I suspect that it had less to
do with any inherent advantages of soil-less farming than it did with
getting rid of all that icky mud.
It was, and still is, a
particular favourite of pot growers... Sorry! I mean, advanced
spacecraft designers, who saw hydroponics as a way of recycling air on
long spaceflights while providing the crew with the odd tomato or bit
of salad greens to brighten up their day. Not a bad idea, if it
weren't for the fact that a) the equipment and fertilisers needed have
so far outweighed any payload benefits and b) finding the sand
and caterpillars in deep space to go with the spinach has proven an
insurmountable obstacle.
