Frogggsss in spaaaccceee ! Or frog , at least . And maybe not in space , but for certain a wild ride . Look closely at the photo above and you 'll see the little guy streaking skyward alongside a 90-foot-tall rocket carrying a moon mission from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA 's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday . Another piece of science fiction , you 're thinking . But NASA confirms the photo , taken by a remote camera during Friday 's launch of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer ( LADEE ) , is not some trick . `` 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 , '' it says on its website . The photo was first posted online Wednesday by Universe Today . It 's been hopping around the internet since . And prompting some super puns we have to share . `` This frog gives new meaning to `` flying leap , '' ( or giant leap ) . '' Universe Today in that original post . `` From lily pad to launch pad . '' The Independent . `` An unlucky frog took a giant leap for mankind . '' News.com.au . `` Did it croak ? '' NBC News . And not to be outdone , a source told CNN the creature 's last words were : `` Orrrbit , orrrbit . '' `` The condition of the frog , however , is uncertain , '' NASA says on its website , but these kind of things tend not to end well for amphibians . So how did it get there in the first place ? `` The launchpad at the Wallops/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport has a 'pool ' for the high-volume water deluge system that activates during launches to protect the pad from damage and for noise suppression , and likely there was a ( formerly ) damp , cool place that was a nice spot for a frog to hang out , '' Universe Today reported . While the frog 's short trip to the final frontier may be over , LADEE 's continues . It is expected to reach lunar orbit on October 6 and then commence gathering `` detailed information about the lunar atmosphere , conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust , '' NASA said . `` A thorough understanding of these characteristics will address long-standing unknowns , and help scientists understand other planetary bodies as well . '' Follow the LADEE mission .
Frog caught in launch of moon mission . NASA confirms photo is no fake . Score: 6