NASA denies claims that viral zero gravity cameo appearance was product placement.
A jar of Nutella became an unlikely viral sensation on Monday during NASA’s livestream of the Artemis II mission’s historic lunar flyby, briefly overshadowing one of the most significant moments in human spaceflight for more than half a century.
The Italian hazelnut cocoa spread appeared to make a break for it during the livestream after mission specialist Christina Koch was seen putting away a bag.
The jar floated past Koch undetected as the crew was focused on preparing for the seven-hour lunar flyby window.
In zero gravity, the jar drifted, turned and practically posed – perfectly framed with label facing forward – delivering a product shot that viewers said seemed storyboarded.
The jar’s primetime showcase happened around four minutes before the Artemis II crew made history, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth.
The four astronauts ultimately reached a maximum distance of 252,752 miles as their Orion spacecraft whipped around the Moon, breaking the old record by more than 4,100 miles.
The clip spread rapidly across social media, making headlines in Italy where the chocolate-hazelnut spread was created and launched by the Ferrero family more than 60 years ago.
Advertising out of this world
Social media users hailed it as the “greatest free advert in history,” with some alleging that Ferrero had arranged a paid brand deal with NASA, given the improbably photogenic framing.
NASA was quick to dismiss those suggestions. Agency press secretary Bethany Stevens told Futurism: “NASA does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships. This was not a product placement.”
Nutella’s marketing team embraced the moment regardless, reposting the video on its official X account with the message: “Honored to have traveled further than any spread in history. Taking spreading smiles to new heights.”
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
The crew – NASA commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen – have been sustained during the 10-day mission by a menu including macaroni and cheese, beef brisket, broccoli au gratin and scrambled eggs, along with 58 tortillas and supplies of coffee, lemonade and various other drinks.
The Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on 1 April 2026. The crew is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at about 20.07 EDT on Friday 10 April.
The mission is the first crewed Moon-bound flight since Apollo 17 in 1972 and a precursor to a planned crewed lunar landing.
