A NASA photo of the LADEE Launch captured something unexpected, and unfortunate frog flying through the air.
The photo is titled "LADEE Frog Photobomb,"it was captured by a "still camera on a sound trigger" during the recent launch, NASA reported. A photo team confirmed the frog was genuine.
The Wallops/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch pad is located near a "'pool' for the high-volume water deluge system that activates during launches to protect the pad from damage and for noise suppression," Universe Today reported. The pool could explain the frog's presence.
This is not the first time space missions have disturbed wildlife. A turkey vulture flew into the bright orange fuel tank during the STS-114 launch. Recently a test launch of the SpaceX Grasshopper sent a herd of terrified cows running for their lives.
The frog was the least of the LADEE mission's problems during the launch. The craft experienced some technical difficulties, the Associated Press via USA Today reported.
LADEE's reaction wheels were activated for stabilization because it was spinning too fast, but a computer system immediately shut them down. The malfunction is not expected to interfere with the mission.
The LADEE spacecraft is on its way to the moon to gather information on its atmosphere in hopes of finding out more about the environment of similar objects and asteroids, NASA reported.
"The moon's tenuous atmosphere may be more common in the solar system than we thought," John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science in Washington, said in a news release. "Further understanding of the moon's atmosphere may also help us better understand our diverse solar system and its evolution."
LADEE was in an elliptical orbit around Earth, at an altitude of about 162,000 miles, as of Sept. 10.
The craft will drop to a lower altitude on Sept. 13, when NASA will "perform an engine burn to boost its orbit."
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