NASA is denying any suggestion of product placement after a jar of Nutella floated into view inside the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission.
The moment occurred Monday during a live NASA broadcast as the four astronauts completed their lunar flyby and began heading home. The jar drifted past the camera roughly four minutes before the crew broke Apollo 13’s 1970 distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth — a milestone reached during NASA’s first crewed deep-space mission since the Apollo era.
NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens quickly addressed the online speculation. “NASA does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships,” she said. “This was not a product placement.”
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
Officials confirmed the spread was simply part of the astronauts’ approved food supply, carried aboard like any other menu item. The crew has been enjoying a variety of familiar foods during the roughly 10-day mission, including mac and cheese, beef brisket and scrambled eggs.
The viral clip sparked widespread social media chatter, with some viewers joking it was the ultimate free advertisement. Nutella’s own marketing team leaned into the moment with a playful response, but NASA emphasized the appearance was entirely unplanned and unrelated to any commercial deal.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center joined the lighthearted conversation on X, posting: “Enjoying sweet treats while our Artemis crew takes sweet photos of the Moon!”
The incident highlights the everyday realities of life in zero gravity, where unsecured items float freely. No safety issues were reported, and the mission continues on schedule as the crew returns to Earth after its historic loop around the moon.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
The moment occurred Monday during a live NASA broadcast as the four astronauts completed their lunar flyby and began heading home.
