From lily pad to launch pad: Leaping frog photobombs Nasa space launch to the moon



The frog was spotted as the LADEE spacecraft took off from Virgina



It is thought it lived in pool of water created by the sprinkler system

Nasa has confirmed the frog image is real and captured in a single frame



A leaping frog made an appearance at Nasa’s launch of the LADEE spacecraft last week.

The adventurous amphibian was spotted jumping up in the air as the spacecraft took off from the Virgina launchpad on its mission to the moon.

It is not yet known whether the frog wanted to hitch a ride, get its 15 minutes of fame, or was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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The unlucky amphibian was snapped silhouetted against a cloud of smoke as the LADEE lifted off from the Wallops facility in Virginia, U.S.

According to NBC News , the frog may have come from a pool of water at the Wallops launch facility potentially created by high pressure sprinkler systems to prevent fires.



A Nasa spokesperson said: ‘The photo team confirms the frog is real and was captured in a single frame by one of the remote cameras used to photograph the launch.



‘The condition of the frog, however, is uncertain.’

An Air Force Minotaur V rocket, built by Orbital Sciences Corp, provided the ride from Nasa¿s Wallops Flight Facility

BRIAN THE STOWAWAY BAT

What Brian the bat's thoughts were when he settled on the space shuttle Discovery will never be known but it is probably safe to assume that being blasted into space at 17,500mph was not among them. In 2009, the free-tailed bat stowaway had latched himself onto the shuttle's external fuel tank several hours before countdown. Every now and then he shifted position. Brian was seen still attached to mission STS-119 as it cleared the tower and accelerated to 17,500mph in eight minutes.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), pronounced 'LA'-dee,' is taking a roundabout path to the moon, making three huge laps around Earth before getting close enough to go into lunar orbit.



An Air Force Minotaur V rocket, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., provided the ride from Nasa’s Wallops Flight Facility.



This isn’t the first time an animal has photo bombed a space launch.



In 2009, Brian the bat clung to the side of the space shuttle as it blasted into space at 17,500mph.

LADEE, which is the size of a small car, is expected to reach the moon on October 6.



