On August 9, 1973, NASA requested that Skylab astronauts share a housefly-sized piece of their filet mignon with two spiders on their mission, named Anita and Arabella, so that the arachnids could continue their experiment spinning webs in zero-G.
Webs Beyond This World
Anita and Arabella’s very floaty adventure
Two spiders blast off
eight shoes apiece, none tied tight
Earth waves from below.
Which way is the floor?
Arabella twirls twice more
Skylab has no down.
Anita flings silk
it loops, wiggles, tickles space
then it lands—ta-da!—somewhere.
Dinner drifts nearby
a tiny steak moon sails past
catch it if you can.
Soon their webs gleam bright
two proud spiders bow in space
stars demand encore.
