As NASA's Artemis II crew made history today by traveling farther from Earth than any humans ever have, another unexpected passenger quietly drifted into frame: a jar of Nutella.
During NASA's livestream of the mission, the hazelnut spread could be seen floating around the Orion spacecraft cabin just minutes before Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen broke the distance record previously set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
The moment immediately went viral online, with users joking that Nutella had now technically traveled farther from Earth than anyone else in history.
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Others joked that Ferrero, the company behind Nutella, had just received the most valuable product placement imaginable — a free ad from space. (You could also say the same about Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max.)
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NASA, however, shut down any suggestion that the floating jar was part of a brand deal. In a statement to Futurism, agency press secretary Bethany Stevens said NASA "does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships" and clarified that the Nutella appearance "was not a product placement."
The Artemis II crew has reportedly brought a surprisingly stacked menu into space, including barbecue beef brisket, cauliflower, macaroni and cheese, broccoli au gratin, tortillas, hot sauce, and coffee. The Nutella, naturally, seems destined for mid-flight snacking.
Yes, the mission is one of the most significant moments in modern space travel. But even astronauts breaking records on the way around the moon still want snacks.
