A jar of Nutella has appeared during a live broadcast from NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft, drawing widespread attention online and prompting clarification from the agency around potential brand involvement.
Nutella sighting in Artemis II makes a lot of sense. Great shelf life (2+ years). No refrigeration needed. Calorie dense. No threat of crumb floating in microgravity. Spoonable. Highly viscous so unlikey to damage equipment if jar breaks. pic.twitter.com/EVsR7KkHMu
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) April 6, 2026
Footage from inside the spacecraft showed the chocolate-hazelnut spread floating in zero gravity, and the moment quickly circulated across social media platforms as users cited the visibility as an example of high-profile, organic brand exposure.
That’s right, turns out real astronauts don’t actually eat those powered-peanut butter-tasting Space Food Sticks of an ‘80s child’s youth. This is probably why I have trust issues.
Alas, we move on.
How does it feel to be lied to?
Clips of the broadcast were widely shared on X, with some users framing the moment as an unintentional advertising win for Nutella’s parent company, Ferrero Group.
“Nutella couldn’t have had better advertising,” wrote one user.
“Zero gravity, maximum brand exposure!” wrote another.
Nutella responds
In a truly brilliant branding move, the company has already taken advantage of the global moment, reporting the video to X, accompanied by the caption, “Honored (sic) to have traveled (sic) 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
NASA rejects product placement claims
NASA has since clarified that the appearance was not tied to any commercial partnership.
Agency press secretary Bethany Stevens told publication Futurism that the selection of food on board is not influenced by brands.
“NASA does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships,” she said. “This was not a product placement.”
The astronauts’ menu includes a range of standard spaceflight meals such as mac and cheese, beef brisket, broccoli au gratin and scrambled eggs, alongside supplies of hot sauce and coffee.
Among the items onboard is a full-sized jar of Nutella, which has drawn attention online. According to Scientific American, the crew also packed 58 tortillas, a staple in space due to their practicality in zero gravity.
While NASA has ruled out any formal arrangement, the incident highlights how unscripted moments in high-interest environments can generate significant earned media value.
Main image: NASA