A jar of Nutella became an unexpected star of NASA’s Artemis II mission livestream, drifting across the camera inside the spacecraft and triggering a wave of viral reactions online. The scene which saw the chocolate‑hazelnut spread floating in zero gravity with its label prominently facing viewers quickly had social media users calling it the best free advertisement in history.
The moment unfolded aboard the Orion spacecraft just minutes before the crew surpassed the historic Apollo 13 distance record, with viewers around the world amused by the way the jar seemed to “pose” perfectly for the camera. Clips of the floating jar spread rapidly across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X, inspiring jokes and memes from “One small step for man, one giant leap for Nutella” to declarations that no marketing team could ever buy this kind of exposure.
Nutella leaned into the moment with a playful post celebrating the unexpected footage, saying the iconic spread was “honored to have traveled further than any spread in history.” NASA later clarified that it was not a planned product placement and that food items aboard the mission are part of approved astronaut supplies, not commercial partnerships.
Honored to have traveled further than any spread in history 🚀 Taking spreading smiles to new heights ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vDUJMi1qbS
— Nutella (@NutellaUSA) April 6, 2026
