Spider webs in space

Spider webs in space were spun in 1973 aboard Skylab, involving two female European garden spiders (cross spiders) called Arabella and Anita. As part of an experiment, the two spiders were taken into low earth orbit on the Skylab 3 mission. The aim of the experiment was to test whether the two spiders would spin webs in space, and, if so, whether these webs would be the same as those that spiders produced on Earth. The experiment was a student project of Judy Miles of Lexington, Massachusetts.

Conducting the experiment

After the launch on July 28, 1973 and entering Skylab, the spiders were released by astronaut Owen Garriott, into a box that resembled a window frame. The spiders proceeded to construct their web, while a camera took photographs and examined the spiders' behavior in a zero-gravity environment. Both spiders took a long time to adapt to their weightless existence. However, after a day, Arabella spun the first web in the experimental cage, although it was initially incomplete.The web was completed the following day. The crew members were prompted to expand the initial protocol. They fed and watered the spiders, giving them filet mignon. The first web was removed on 13 August, to allow the spider to construct a second web.At first, the spider failed to construct a new web, but, supplied with additional water, a second web was built, this time more elaborate than the first. Both spiders died during the mission, possibly due to dehydration.

Result

When scientists were given the opportunity to study the webs, they discovered that the space webs were finer than normal Earth webs, and although the patterns of the web were not totally dissimilar, variations were spotted, and there was a definite difference in the characteristics of the web. Additionally, while the webs were finer overall, the space-web had variations in thickness in places: some places were slightly thinner, and others slightly thicker. This was unusual, because Earth webs have been observed to have uniform thickness.

Anita died in orbit. Arabella was found dead on return to earth. Both were found to have lost considerable weight andwere probably dehydrated [Witt, et al.] .The remains of Anita, along with the web frame, can be seen at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

References

* [http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa020303b.htm Spiders on Skylab-3]
*Guinness World Records (2006). "Guinness World Records 2007". Guinness World Records Ltd.
* [http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_tocs/JOA_contents_v4n2.html Witt, P. N., M. B. Scarboro, D. B. Peakall, and R. Gause. (1977) Spider web-building in outer space: Evaluation of records from the Skylab spider experiment. Am. J. Arachnol. 4:115.]