Spiders in Space -- Live!

My first thread..hope i did it right ...lol
www.nasa.gov...

Ever since they were announced, the spiders in space have been living in the limelight. This is, of course, the point -- to watch and learn as the pair of golden orb spiders, or Nephila clavipes, adapt to living in microgravity on the International Space Station. As a result, these two arachnids, dubbed Gladys and Esmeralda by astronaut Cady Coleman, are reaching celebrity status.

The spiders are part of the scientific investigation called Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert-05, or CSI-05. This study houses the two spiders in separate habitats and includes chambers for their food supply of fruit flies. Artificial light simulates day and nighttime, as well as temperature and humidity control. The habitats reside in the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus, or CGBA, on the station, which controls imaging of the arachnids' activities.

After launching in style as part of the last flight of Endeavour on May 16, 2011, the spiders found their popularity continued to grow. Teachers registered more than 130,000 students so far, gaining instructional materials and the chance to tune in and follow the arachnids' antics via space station videos. In one of the more recent video uploads, Esmeralda displayed diva-like qualities as she showed her hunting skills to be as sharp as ever in microgravity. The video of her capturing a fruit fly on May 26, 2011 is on now available for viewing on YouTube.

Schools around the globe continue to participate in the spider study by visiting BioEd Online. From this site teachers can download a guide to create a control habitat, complete with spider, for their classrooms. "Spiders and space are two things that capture the imagination of most kids, so it's a recipe for fascinating science in the schools," comments International Space Station Associate Program Scientist Tara Ruttley. "I think this will create great memories for the students, and a way to show them how science can be fun as their science classes become more challenging through the years."

www.nasa.gov...
[Pic]
www.nasa.gov...

Just thought I`d share...no controversy here. well not yet anyway.. just thought this was cool.






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Wow, that's cool. I was especially interested in this:

"
The golden orb spider actually spins and then consumes its web on a daily basis. This practice provides the protein necessary to enable renewed web activities each day. Ruttley found this out firsthand, "I noticed the web was gone the next morning, this is because the golden orb spiders actually eat their web overnight and start again the next day, all fresh."

The golden orb spider usually spins a three dimensional, asymmetric web on Earth, but in space they spin more circular webs. The current spiders also prefer to spin according to a timetable, as compared to the orb spiders -- Larinioides patagiatus and Metepeira -- from the previous CSI-03 investigation, who would spin at all times of day. "These spiders seem to stick to a more regimented schedule of spinning in the early morning hours and taking their web down right after lights out." said Stefanie Countryman, Project Manager for CSI-05 at BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado."

I never knew that spiders ate their webs. And the fact that they spin circularly in micro gravity is awesome. Very interesting stuff.
Thanks.



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reply to post by awcgs


Great first thread! That was great to read (I love any spider description including "diva")...and Golden Orb spiders are cool little buggers. Nice to see they are snagging fruit flies in outerspace...what a story to tell their kids!

ColoradoJens

reply to post by windword

ok better
Please read. lol

reply to post by windword


Ahh, first thread, if so, give the OP a break, eh?

ColoradoJens

reply to post by ColoradoJens


thank you.... and I think spiders in space is where all spiders should be.......my wife would be happier.

reply to post by awcgs


HAHA. Spiders ARE kinda threatening.

Seems like 'em spiders are onto a good thing, and the poor old flies are probably knackered anyway and going nowhere. Not sure if the change in the weaving bit has to do with the spiders though, at least initially.

Very interesting !!

Spiders and i don't get along. Here is a funny video about spiders on drugs....

reply to post by BadBoYeed


That was just great... Made my Day.

An interesting observation of exoskeleton creatures in space is that they grow faster, grow stronger and display greater quickness in microgravity, which is the opposite effects on humans, and I suppose all endoskeleton creatures relying on gravity to use and build muscles. Russian space observations of cockroaches confirm this, even though this wasn't discussed in this NASA article.
Here is one article about the Russian microgravity cockroaches.

I say send all of them back to space where they belong

reply to post by awcgs


That was funny. Many would say the same, but I just can't get over a certain love for these guys.
Also, excellent avatar.

CJ

Originally posted by Illustronic
An interesting observation of exoskeleton creatures in space is that they grow faster, grow stronger and display greater quickness in microgravity, which is the opposite effects on humans, and I suppose all endoskeleton creatures relying on gravity to use and build muscles. Russian space observations of cockroaches confirm this, even though this wasn't discussed in this NASA article.
Here is one article about the Russian microgravity cockroaches.

Now, why would you say that? I'll be sleepless for days.....
Seriously though, I didn't know that, pretty cool, it sparked my interest.

reply to post by drakus


It just brought to mind of what may be a superior skeletal life form for survival, which may be more adaptable to alien conditions, conditions which prove to be more common than those here on comfy earth. I recall episodes on TV where life forms of the deep, like the small blind white crab (for lack of species term and laziness in looking it up), brought to the surface from its native extreme pressure home and survived just fine, to be studied, I guess some returned, I don't know. Life forms discovered by Challenger Deep thrive at the floor of the Mariana Trench where no plankton can live, but things do sink, and that's what they eat, sort of a frozen oceanic TV dinner.

reply to post by Illustronic


Thanks for the thoughtful post and good humor...here is something to think about...especially if you hate spiders...

lady bug vs spider

CJ

great read it was nice to read something new and enjoyable and i learned a few things while reading it so plus there.
i wonder how other little critter would survive up there


ladybug vs. spider was awesome that poor spider just couldn't keep a web

reply to post by awcgs


No controversy huh?.....What about NASA breeding Giant Mutant Space Spiders? Using the Mutant spiders's webs as a form of silk is the only way to make Obama's Fake Birth Certificates pass as the real thing!! I thought everybody knew about that scandal!


......as yes that was sarcasm....I don't believe in Giant Mutant Space Spiders, or Obama Faking his Birth Certificate.....though of the two, I'd imagine the Giant Mutant Space Spiders would be the more believable!

reply to post by BadBoYeed


Ha ha...I've seen that video before....but it makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it! Thanks!

reply to post by bhornbuckle75


I like sarcasm....just don`t like spiders!