World's first 'spidernaut' dies after history-making 100 days in space - Science Recorder

Disclaimer: If you're one of those people that hates spiders but is fascinated by space, then the following news will probably come as a major disappointment.

The world's first "spidernaut" to travel to space and back has died after a history-making 100 days in space, according to the Smithsonian.

The spidernaut, also known as Nefertiti or "Neffi," traveled 42 million miles while en route to and aboard the International Space Station.

At the moment, scientist are not sure what exactly caused "spidernaut" to die (although natural causes or the spider's long space flight are the likely culprits).

"Yes, it's unfortunate. She seemed well-adjusted to earth and was in good spirits. But 10 months is a good run for a little jumping spider," museum spokesman Randall Kremer told The Washington Post.

The spider was part of an 18-year-old Egyptian student Amr Mohamed's proposal to study the impacts of microgravity on spiders. Mr. Mohamed's video proposal was given the thumbs up by a panel of scientists, including famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

"I suggest it will jump toward prey but not get it," he said in the video. Mr. Mohamed theorized that jumping spiders would leap past their meal due to the weightlessness of space.

While spidernaut's death was bound to happen sooner than later given the short life spans of spiders, Neffi's death had a profound impact on the scientific community who were hoping that the little critter would survive for a while longer. According to the Smithsonian, the lifespan of the species P. johnsoni is usually a year or less.

"The unexpected loss of this special animal who inspired so many imaginations will be felt throughout the museum community," Kelly Carnes, a spokeswoman for the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, told The Los Angeles Times.

Despite Nefertiti's death, the spider will continue to serve as a monument to space exploration and as an educational tool to help visitors learn more about spiders.

"The body of Nefertiti will be added to the museum's collection of specimens where she will continue to contribute to our understanding of spiders,'' Ms. Carnes said.

According to Space.com, Neffi is not the first space-exploring spider to meet a similar fate. "Arabella" and "Anita," however, passed away while on Skylab (the U.S.'s first space station) in 1973. Eventually, the first spiders to spin webs in space were donated to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.