To boldly go where no frog has gone before
Unsuspecting amphibian blasted into sky during NASA rocket launch
These frog legs were served extra-crispy.
A still camera on a sound trigger captured this intriguing photo of an airborne frog leaping for his life as NASA's LADEE spacecraft lifts off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
In a caption listed along with the photo on NASA’s Instagram page, the space agency writes that the frog 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.
Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge was created on July 10, 1975 and is comprised mainly of salt marsh and woodlands. The wildlife refuge contains habitat for a variety of species, including upland- and wetland-dependent migratory birds. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an agreement with NASA to use the NASA-owned portion of Wallops Island for research and management of declining wildlife in special need of protection.
An agreement between NASA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service covers the portion of the approximately 3,000 acres of Wallops Island that the space agency owns. The salt marshes and woodlands on the rest of the island clearly are inhabited.
“How is it possible for wildlife to peacefully coexist with space operations and what effects do rocket launches have on wildlife,” the space agency wrote. “NASA’s launch facilities, roads, and facilities take up a small percentage of the area. The rest of the area remains undeveloped and provides excellent habitat for wildlife.
“During launches, short term disturbance occurs in the immediate vicinity of the launch pads, but the disturbance is short-lived allowing space launches and a wildlife habitat to coexist.”
But in a fight between a rocket and frog, the winner is clear.