Nature · 2
Which animal produces silk strong enough that NASA has researched it as a potential material for lightweight body armour?
Answer
The golden silk orb-weaver spider (Nephila)
The golden silk orb-weaver (Nephila) produces silk with an exceptional tensile strength-to-weight ratio, prompting NASA and defence researchers to investigate it for lightweight body armour and other applications. Its silk is roughly five times stronger than steel by weight.
💡 Did you know?
Golden silk orb-weaver spider silk has been woven into an actual golden-coloured textile — a full cape displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum took over a million spiders to produce.
Other options people guess
- The silkworm moth (Bombyx mori)
- The trapdoor spider (Ctenizidae)
- The Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini)
Topics
- spiders
- silk
- biomaterials
- insects
- nature
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