Nefertiti, the “spidernaut” has died of natural causes in the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History. The spider gained fame after she became the first to be launched into outer space. At ten months old she was only two months short of her species average lifespan.
Nefertiti spent time on the International Space Station after an Egyptian teenager, Amir Mohamed, won a worldwide science contest hypothesizing that she would not be able to hunt in a micro-gravity environment. The spider did in fact adapt to her new environment, hunting by sneaking up on her prey instead of jumping on it. After being relocated to the Museum of Natural History, Nefertiti became part of an exhibit on insects. Her body will be preserved and presented to further the study of science.
