Rocket frog takes a flying leap -- or "Frogs in Spaaaace!"

Well, it isn't really "frogs in space", but it's still an interesting picture...

It seems that a frog must have been hanging around the launchpad before the launch of the LADEE probe to the Moon from Wallops Island this past Friday. Upon launch, this poor little guy got the scare of his life, and jumped away.



The camera was away from the pad, and looks to have been mounted relatively low to the ground (or maybe even in a pit), so perhaps this guy was jumping over the camera.

Source:

Rocket Frog Takes a Flying Leap


You may have the same question I had: Did the frog survive? According to this article, no one knows for sure:

Frog pops up in NASA photo of LADEE rocket launch: Did it croak?

When frogs can fly.......oh wait

He was a brave little guy, our Kermit. He stayed at his post to make sure nothing went wrong with the launch and never wavered in his courage. Oh..the Frogmanity.

R.I.P. Kermit.

We'll always remember you!

The camera was away from the pad, and looks to have been mounted relatively low to the ground (or maybe even in a pit), so perhaps this guy was jumping over the camera.

I don't think this little guy jumped

Hope he made a safe landing

Mianeye

The camera was away from the pad, and looks to have been mounted relatively low to the ground (or maybe even in a pit), so perhaps this guy was jumping over the camera.

I don't think this little guy jumped

Hope he made a safe landing

Yeah -- I couldn't tell from the picture where exactly the frog was relative to the camera. It does look as if he (she?) was possibly relatively far from the camera -- maybe being blown in the general direction of the camera by the force of the launch -- or maybe it is a perspective issue, and he is small and close.

It isn't easy being green!

reply to post by Mianeye

Yeah. I reckon he was pushed.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Although it's nice to think it was an epic jump, I think it's more likely that it was kicked into the air by the blast waves from the rocket engine.

As for animals at the launch sites in general, here's a ground squirrel at the Baikonur. www.youtube.com...

That's one small step for Kermit...

And one giant leap for Frogkind.

Aww this is what i had in mind

And this is where the tax payer money is going to..

Just noticed the frog in the op pic, wtf? Thought the name of the rocket was 'Frog'

Soylent Green Is People


Yeah -- I couldn't tell from the picture where exactly the frog was relative to the camera. It does look as if he (she?) was possibly relatively far from the camera -- maybe being blown in the general direction of the camera by the force of the launch -- or maybe it is a perspective issue, and he is small and close.

I think that little guy/girl was probably in the water sound suppression system. Got shot out of there like a cannon!!!!

NASA

BEST. THREAD. EVER.

S&F.

Ahem ahem,never used the search button? Im sorry but this has already been posted......Alien frog.www.abovetopsecret.com...

symptomoftheuniverse
Ahem ahem,never used the search button? Im sorry but this has already been posted......Alien frog.www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 13-9-2013 by symptomoftheuniverse because: added link,spelling

Wasn't posted before in this Forum. Not everybody goes to General Chit Chat

By the way, did LADEE launch use water sound suppression system? I don't think there was one. The rocket is basically a converted ICBM.

wildespace

symptomoftheuniverse
Ahem ahem,never used the search button? Im sorry but this has already been posted......Alien frog.www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 13-9-2013 by symptomoftheuniverse because: added link,spelling

Wasn't posted before in this Forum. Not everybody goes to General Chit Chat

By the way, did LADEE launch use water sound suppression system? I don't think there was one. The rocket is basically a converted ICBM.

so jokes are more suited to this forum? Well that is a joke in itsef.

That water is for cooling the launch pad, water is a very good conductor of sound, whales can 'talk' to each other through thousands of miles of sea! The British navy sound locators can hear ships leave New York harbour!

symptomoftheuniverse

wildespace

symptomoftheuniverse
Ahem ahem,never used the search button? Im sorry but this has already been posted......Alien frog.www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 13-9-2013 by symptomoftheuniverse because: added link,spelling

Wasn't posted before in this Forum. Not everybody goes to General Chit Chat

By the way, did LADEE launch use water sound suppression system? I don't think there was one. The rocket is basically a converted ICBM.

so jokes are more suited to this forum? Well that is a joke in itsef.

I don't think this is a "joke" thread at all. I think the picture is very interesting, and worthy of a thread.


And you're right -- I didn't search thoroughly enough. I didn't see an existing thread about this in "space exploration", which is the place I figured a thread like this would be (but I was wrong).

pikestaff
That water is for cooling the launch pad, water is a very good conductor of sound, whales can 'talk' to each other through thousands of miles of sea! The British navy sound locators can hear ships leave New York harbour!

No. The water is for sound suppression, not cooling.

During the launch, a water deluge system associated with this pool of water is triggered, which absorbs the sound and prevents reflected sound waves/shock waves from bouncing back up and possibly causing damage to the launch vehicle and/or payload.

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...

Source



A similar system was used for shuttle launches:

The water system is designed to protect the Shuttle and its payloads from any damage that may occur from acoustical energy reflected from the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) during launch. The water is released seconds before ignition of the orbiter's three main engines and twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB), then flows through parallel 7-foot-diameter pipes to the Pad.

Source: Sound Suppression Test Unleashes a Flood

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


No problem,it is a great pic. Can we assume this frog is cooked?

Hi, rocket fans.

The frog may have been pushed by the "noise" !

I have in the past read/seen/heard that, once, near a "Saturn 5" lift off,
a STEAL PLATE was floating in the air, because of the powerfull
vibrations made by the 5 nozzles/rockets ! !

IMAGINE the cracking sound of 5 x 1,500,000 lbs rockets together ! ! !
A total of 7,500,000 lbs pushing a stick of 5,500,000 lbs !!!

Blue skies.