AN UNLUCKY frog took a giant leap for mankind when it was (accidentally) launched towards space by a NASA rocket.

The frog's unfortunate journey was captured by one of NASA's cameras set up for the launch of the LADEE spacecraft at the Wallops/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia last Friday, Universe Today reports.

And yes, the photo is real.

Wallops spokesman Jeremy Eggers confirmed the picture was legitimate and was not altered in any way.

So how did a frog end up on a rocket launchpad? A likely explanation is that the frog was attracted by a pool of water that sits at the launchpad. The water protects the pad from damage during launches and suppresses noise.

NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is now on its way to the moon, where it will gather information about the lunar atmosphere for the US space agency.

It's expected to arrive in about three weeks. But sadly, we're not sure the frog will be as lucky.