by InTrieste
A jar of Nutella captured widespread attention Monday during NASA’s livestream of the Artemis II mission’s historic lunar flyby, briefly drawing focus away from one of the most significant milestones in human spaceflight in more than 50 years. The Italian hazelnut cocoa spread floated past mission specialist Christina Koch after she had placed a bag aside, drifting through the cabin in zero gravity.
The jar rotated in the weightless environment, appearing with its label facing forward as it moved across the camera frame, prompting social media users to call the moment “practically a commercial.” The brief appearance occurred minutes before the Artemis II crew surpassed Apollo 13’s 1970 record for the farthest distance from Earth achieved by humans.
The Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen reached a maximum distance of 252,752 miles from Earth during the flyby, breaking the previous record by more than 4,100 miles.
The clip quickly went viral, particularly in Italy, where the Ferrero company first introduced Nutella more than six decades ago. Some social media users speculated that the product’s carefully framed presence indicated a paid partnership with NASA.
NASA dismissed the suggestion. “NASA does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships. This was not a product placement,” agency press secretary Bethany Stevens said.
Nutella’s marketing team acknowledged the moment, sharing the video on its official social media account with the message: “Honored to have traveled further than any spread in history. Taking spreading smiles to new heights.”
The Artemis II crew’s menu for the 10-day mission includes macaroni and cheese, beef brisket, broccoli au gratin, scrambled eggs, tortillas, coffee, lemonade, and other beverages. The mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, is the first crewed Moon-bound flight since Apollo 17 in 1972 and a precursor to a planned crewed lunar landing. The spacecraft is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 10.
