A jar of Nutella has journeyed farther into space than you ever will.
Written by Crystal Bell on April 6, 2026.
As NASA’s Artemis II crew made history today by traveling farther from Earth than any humans ever have, another unexpected passenger quietly drifted into view: a jar of Nutella.
During NASA’s livestream of the mission, the hazelnut spread was seen floating around the Orion spacecraft cabin just minutes before Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen broke the distance record previously set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
The moment quickly went viral online, with users joking that Nutella had now technically traveled farther from Earth than anyone else in history. Others joked that Ferrero, the company behind Nutella, had just received the most valuable product placement imaginable—a free ad from space. (The same could be said for Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max.)
However, NASA shut down any suggestion that the floating jar was part of a brand deal. In a statement to Futurism, agency press secretary Bethany Stevens stated that NASA “does not select crew meals or food in association with brand partnerships” and clarified that the Nutella appearance “was not a product placement.”
The Artemis II crew reportedly brought a surprisingly stacked menu into space, including barbecue beef brisket, cauliflower, macaroni and cheese, broccoli au gratin, tortillas, hot sauce, and coffee. The Nutella, naturally, seems destined for mid-flight snacking.
Yes, the mission marks one of the most significant moments in modern space travel. But even astronauts breaking records on their journey around the moon still crave snacks.