A jar of Nutella became an unexpected "star" of NASA's Artemis II mission on Monday: during a live broadcast, watched by millions of viewers, it was noticed floating in weightlessness in the cabin of the "Orion" ship – about four minutes before the crew set a record for the greatest distance of humans from Earth. The scene from April 6, when the four astronauts were approaching the Moon, captured how the chocolate-hazelnut spread smoothly turned with its label towards the camera – viewers immediately called it "the greatest free advertisement in history".
Record conquered – and Nutella on board
The "Artemis II" crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as the representative of the Canadian Space Agency Jeremy Hansen – broke the record of "Apollo 13" from 1970 for the maximum distance from Earth of 248,655 miles. According to NASA data, this happened at 12:56 p.m. Central Time on Monday, when the "Orion" ship reached 252,756 miles from the planet – more than 4,000 miles more than the previous record. This is NASA's first manned mission into deep space since the "Apollo" program.
While the historical achievement captured the attention of official channels, the unexpected scene with Nutella dominated social networks. The video quickly went around the platforms, and users described it as an almost "directed" shot. "In conditions of weightlessness, the jar was floating, spinning and literally posing in front of the camera – the label forward, at the perfect angle, presenting an advertising shot with such perfection as if it was invented by a director," noted Fox News.
NASA: no paid advertisement, the menu is not made with brands
NASA quickly reacted to speculations that the appearance of the product may be the result of a commercial agreement. Agency spokeswoman Bethany Stevens told Futurism that "NASA does not select crew food and food products within partnerships with brands," and emphasized: "This was not product placement." Officials explained that the treat is part of the standard approved menu for the mission – along with dishes such as macaroni and cheese, beef brisket in barbecue sauce and scrambled eggs.
The Kennedy Space Center also joined in the humorous tone, publishing on X (formerly Twitter): "We are enjoying sweet treats while our Artemis crew is taking delightful pictures of the Moon!" Thus, the agency simultaneously rejected the accusations of advertising and accepted the viral moment with a smile.
Ferrero did not miss the chance
The Ferrero company, the owner of the Nutella brand, reacted immediately. The brand published the video from the mission on all its social channels with the caption: "We are proud to have overcome a distance unreachable for any other spread in history. We are raising smiles to new heights." According to Fox News, by Monday evening, the publication had been viewed nearly 200,000 times.
Meanwhile, the crew continues their journey to Earth. "Orion" is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on Friday, April 10, nine days after the rocket launch on April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center. Regardless of the mission's finish, it is clear that one small jar of Nutella has already secured a permanent place in the visual history of "Artemis II".