When NASA blasted their latest rocket into space last Friday, they had an unexpected accompanying launch, as a nearby frog was launched at the same time, according to CNN. The launch occurred on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The unexpected launch was captured in a photograph taken by a remote NASA camera. A camera that was triggered by sound took the photograph.
"It's an authentic photo - there were about eight or nine frames in the sequence, however, this is the only one showing the image of a frog," Jeremy Eggers, a spokesman for Wallops Island, said.
The frog appears larger than one might expect, but that's just because the frog is much closer to the camera. Chris Perry, who set up the camera, estimated the frog to be about 150 feet from the rocket. He estimates the frog was about 50 feet from the camera.
The frog only went a few feet into the air, though the spacecraft, Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), is going 238,850 miles into space. The unmanned spacecraft is headed for the moon.
As far as the question of the frog's fate?
"LADEE is doing well right now, but we are not certain of the frog's fate," Eggers said. The spacecraft is expected to reach the moon on October 6.
Upon reaching on the moon, the spacecraft will orbit for a few months, where it will analyze the lunar dust and the atmosphere, according to the Associated Press.
This was also the first time something like this has been caught on film at Wallops Island, though not the first time something similar has happened to NASA.
"Our photo archive contains launch sequence photos from every launch, and none that I've seen so far has shown us anything like this before," Perry said to NBC via e-mail. "Definitely a surprise to us (and a little sad)."
Video of the rocket launch.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
