'Spidernaut' Nefertiti
'Spidernaut' Nefertiti Smithsonian Institute

The "spidernaut" Nefertiti has died. It was 10 months old. A "Johnson Jumper" spider, it was sent on board the International Space Station in July as part of an experiment; researchers watched to see if the spider would adapt its feeding behavior to weightlessness (it did). Nefertiti was returned to Earth after a 100-day stay, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History then placed the spider in its insect zoo. The display opened to the public on November 29, but the spider died of natural causes yesterday morning. Rest in peace, spidernaut. [SPACE.com]

10 Comments

In a scientific sense, no animal dies from natural causes. There must be a reason; else the doctor just chooses to give up. But morally it's a negative to give up, so the "black matter\black energy\ we do not know why" the patient died is natural causes.

A clear-cut case of murder if I ever did see one.

The spider knew too much.

He was a good man.

She was a good man.

It was a good man.

I'm getting one.

I've had one already, and shot video.... looks just like this one, too.

I wonder how the bacteria, viruses and parasites manage in the human body in space. Why don't PoPSCi, show us a parasite space born parasitic worm?

You cant just get rid of the bastards... They go on orbit - far from all the annoying insects and they SEND them a spider..

Lets try the feeding pattern of a mountain lion in space station.

@lifestream

they tried a cat in space. It did not go well. The whole "right side up" thing left it more or less completely terrified and unable to eat. I am given to understand it did pee prolifically though.



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