While the world held its breath, watching the devices of the Orion spacecraft record the historic distance of 406,000 km from Earth, an unexpected detail caught the attention of viewers of the live broadcast. Just a few minutes before the crew officially broke the Apollo 13 mission record, a single jar of Nutella flew across the cockpit.
The appearance of a familiar brand in deep space instantly went viral. Social media users joked that Nutella had set its own world record by traveling farther from Earth than any other food product in history. While the astronauts coped with certain everyday inconveniences—such as sleeping in cramped sleeping bags or dealing with the technical intricacies of the space toilet—the presence of high-calorie treats on board became a symbol of small earthly pleasures in the boundless void.
Marketing or coincidence?
The chances of a random jar of Nutella appearing in frame 402,000 km away from Earth are extremely small — but never zero ?? pic.twitter.com/DviKrrXowC
— Universe Space Tech (@ust_magazine) April 6, 2026
The appearance of the jar in the frame sparked a wave of rumors about hidden product placement. Many have speculated that Ferrero secured the most expensive advertising campaign in history by striking a deal with a space agency.
Houston, we have Nutella in space ??! Tell us the one thing you'd bring into the cosmos for a chance to have your name written in the stars (or on a custom Nutella jar)✨ pic.twitter.com/A3pomiQVwx
— Nutella (@NutellaUSA) April 7, 2026
However, NASA quickly refuted these claims. Agency spokesperson Bethany Stevens officially stated that NASA did not collaborate with commercial brands in developing the menu. The selection of products is based solely on nutritional value and the crew’s personal preferences, not on advertising contracts.
The Artemis II Mission Menu
Despite the austere nature of life in space, the menu for modern astronauts is surprisingly varied. In addition to nut butter, the Orion crew’s diet includes:
- Beef brisket and macaroni and cheese;
- Broccoli with cheese sauce;
- Scrambled eggs and plenty of coffee.
To combat the tastelessness of food—which often tastes different in space due to blood rushing to the head—the astronauts brought a substantial supply of hot sauce. And tortillas became the main “container” for Nutella—according to Scientific American, 58 tortillas were loaded on board. This is the perfect solution for space travel: unlike regular bread, tortillas don’t leave crumbs that could get into astronauts’ airways or damage the spacecraft’s sensitive electronics.
Such details underscore that even in the most challenging space missions, psychological comfort and a “home-like” atmosphere remain critical to maintaining high crew morale on the journey to the Moon.
We previously reported on how the Artemis II crew couldn’t hold back their tears at their first glimpse of the far side of the Moon.
According to futurism.com
