Call it one giant leap for frog-kind … or a celestial hitchhiking fail.

Whatever the case, NASA officials have confirmed that one unlucky frog got the ride of a lifetime on Sept. 6 after it was presumably flung into the air during the launch of a moon orbiter.

Look closely at a photo taken at NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility and you’ll see the silhouette of an airborne amphibian, limbs splayed out – presumably wondering what happened to its cosy little lily pad – floating through the sky in a cloud of smoke and debris.

NASA insists the photo has not been doctored.

“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,” NASA said in an Instagram post that includes the hashtag #nasafrog and #photobomb.

Not surprisingly, NASA can’t confirm whether the frog survived the epic journey.

“The condition of the frog, however, is uncertain,” NASA said on Instagram.

It's not easy being green ... and several metres in the air.