Space Spider Dies in D.C.: Nefertiti the 'Spidernaut' Dies at Smithsonian Museum after Surviving 100-Day NASA Space Mission [VIDEO]

Reports confirm that a space spider named Nefertiti died at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. on Monday, December 3. Nefertiti got to experience an unforgettable adventure earlier this year that only a few human beings even get to witness - the arthropod flew in a space mission which orbited the cosmos for a stunning 100 days. Following his epic journey into space, Nefertiti lived out the final days of her eight-legged life at the Smithsonian "InsectZoo" exhibit.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History wrote on its official Facebook page on Monday:

"It is with sadness that we announce the death of Nefertiti, the 'Spidernaut.' This morning [Dec. 3], before museum hours, a member of the Insect Zoo staff discovered Neffi had died of natural causes. Neffi lived for 10 months. The lifespan of the species ... can typically reach up to one year."

Unfortunately, Nefertiti was only featured at the "InsectZoo" exhibit a few days before her unfortunate passing.

Reports have it that Nefertiti the "Spidernaut" only had about two more months left to live given her species' typical maximum lifespan. But before her time was up, Nefertiti lived through a magnificent 100 day-orbit in space on the "Johnson Jumper" ("Phidippus johnsoni") which launched into the intergalactic in July and safely landed back on Earth in in October.

During the Johnson Jumper's successful journey into the galaxy, researchers learned that spiders (like Nefertiti) can adapt to the weightless conditions of space while still managing to catch their prey - the Spidernaut survived on a diet consisting of fruit flies during the International Space Station experiment.

Nefertiti is the first "Spidernaut" to make it back to Earth alive - other arachnoids have traveled into space in the past, but all died during the trip (such relics have also been exhibited at the Smithsonian).

The loss of Nefertiti, "a special animal that inspired so many imaginations," will be felt throughout the entire museum community. Smithsonian reps say. The museum will add Nefertiti's remains to its specimen collection.