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Overall view of the Skylab spider experiment.

One of 19 student experiments flown aboard the Skylab space station in 1973, it examined spider web formation in zero gravity. Astronauts monitored the activity of spiders released into this box. At first their webs were rather sloppy, but they soon became more regular as the spiders adapted to weightlessness.

A replica of the Skylab experiment spider cage is at center. The experiment cage was launched with the Orbital Workshop, and the two spiders with food supply (houseflies) were launched with the crew in the vials at left.

The spiders did not survive the entire mission, but the crew brought their bodies along back to Earth after the mission. Arabella's body is preserved in the vial at right.