NASA has sent dogs, monkeys, and even turtles into space, but spiders? Yes, they wanted to see if these eight-legged architects could weave their webs without gravity. Turns out, space webs are nothing like Earth webs, and the results were way weirder than expected. Welcome to arachnids in space.
Meet Arabella and Anita—The First Spiders in Orbit
Back in 1973, NASA sent two garden spiders, Arabella and Anita, to Skylab, the U.S.’s first space station. The goal? See if they could still spin their signature webs in microgravity. At first, they struggled hard—floating around and failing miserably. But soon, they figured it out and started weaving some seriously sci-fi-looking webs.
Webs in Space—Not What We Expected
Here’s where things got weird. The webs these spiders spun in space were way more symmetrical than Earth webs. Without gravity pulling them down, their webs looked eerily perfect. Scientists realized that on Earth, gravity distorts webs in ways we never noticed before.
Spiders Need Their Beauty Sleep—Even in Space
Just like us, spiders have a schedule. On Earth, they spin webs at night and nap during the day. But in space, without a natural day/night cycle? Their schedules went haywire. They still spun webs, but at random hours—proving that gravity plays a role in keeping their tiny internal clocks in check.
Light Became Their New “Gravity”
Years later, a different study discovered that when spiders can’t rely on gravity, they use light instead. Scientists placed a light inside their space habitat, and suddenly, the spiders started treating the light source like it was “down.” They even positioned themselves upside down when they normally wouldn’t.
Web Silk Got Way Thinner in Space
Ever seen a spider web glisten in the morning sun? That’s because their silk is coated in tiny droplets of sticky stuff. But in space, the silk became thinner and less uniform, almost like the spiders were cutting corners. It’s like they knew they weren’t dealing with gravity, so they didn’t put in the usual effort.
A Jumping Spider Took Space Exploration to a Whole New Level
Fast forward to 2012, and NASA decided to test a different kind of spider—a jumping spider named Nefertiti. Unlike Arabella and Anita, who just spun webs, Nefertiti had to actually hunt in space. Spoiler: She absolutely crushed it, successfully stalking and catching prey despite floating around like an astronaut in zero-G.
Space Travel Didn’t Mess Up Nefertiti
After 100 days in orbit, Nefertiti returned to Earth and continued jumping and hunting like a total pro. This shocked scientists because they expected her to be completely disoriented after adapting to weightlessness. But no, she landed, adjusted, and went right back to her assassin ways.
What Does This Mean for Future Space Missions?
NASA isn’t just throwing spiders into space for fun (probably). These experiments tell us how life—any life—adjusts to space. If spiders can rewrite their survival instincts on the fly, what does that mean for humans who might live in space long-term? Could we also rewire our instincts in microgravity?
Space Travel Affects More Than Just Spiders
Spiders aren’t the only creatures that act weird in space. Other experiments have shown that rats struggle to walk properly, fish swim in endless loops, and bees get totally confused. Studying how different species adapt helps us figure out what to expect when we finally send humans on long-haul space trips.
Could Spiders Survive on Mars?
This is where it gets wild—some scientists think spiders could survive in low-gravity environments like Mars. Since they already adapt their behavior to weightlessness, it’s possible that certain arthropods could one day live on another planet. Space spiders taking over Mars? Sounds like the start of a sci-fi horror movie.
What’s Next—More Space Bugs?
If NASA’s throwing spiders into space, what’s next? Ants, cockroaches, and even jellyfish have already been tested in orbit. Some scientists believe larger animals might be next—studying their adaptation to microgravity could be critical for building sustainable space habitats.
So, Are Space Spiders the Future?
The big takeaway? Spiders are way more adaptable than we thought. They rewire their instincts, adjust to new environments, and even replace gravity with light. If these tiny creatures can do it, it gives us hope that humans might one day live in space without totally losing our instincts. That is, if we’re willing to take a few spiders with us. If given the opportunity, would you?
