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Users on social media were quick to point out an unexpected detail from NASA’s historic Artemis II mission this week after a video appeared to show a jar of Nutella floating inside the spacecraft.
The moment was highlighted in a viral post on Tuesday by Threads user Matt Lombardo (@mattlombardonfl), an NFL reporter, who shared his reaction to the sighting as the jar of chocolate spread appeared on camera. "A whole jar of Nutella floating by the camera minutes before Artemis II breaks the Apollo 13 record is the kind of generational advertising campaign that would make Don Draper think it’s too impossible to script," Lombardo wrote in the caption of the post, which has amassed over 182,000 views.
A clip from NASA’s livestream footage from inside the aircraft was shared by Threads user Joe Smith (@joesmith) in a later comment, with a note simply saying: "Lmao [laughing my a** off]." The clip shows the jar drifting past crew members inside the Orion spacecraft, its label clearly visible as it floats through the microgravity environment.
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The brief moment quickly drew attention across the platform, with users expressing both amusement and disbelief at seeing a familiar pantry item aboard a historic space mission.
User @tess.galen wrote, "Nutella marketing team having the best day ever."
Another user, @ritnfool, commented, "If I was Nutella, I'd be RUSHING to license that footage from NASA for their ad campaign!"
User @karencollum echoed the sentiment, saying, "I saw the best advertisement in history at that exact moment. You could not have got the label more prominent if you tried. It was gold."
The viral moment came amid one of NASA’s most significant human spaceflight milestones in decades. On April 1, NASA launched Artemis II, sending four astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The mission marks a major step in the agency’s long-term plan to return humans to the lunar surface and beyond.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft on a planned test flight around the moon and back, according to the agency. Artemis II is designed to test key systems and operations needed for future crewed missions deeper into space.
Ahead of the launch, NASA had outlined the carefully planned food system for the mission. In a statement released in March, the agency detailed a varied Artemis II crew menu featuring items such as barbecued beef brisket, vegetable quiche, broccoli au gratin, and macaroni and cheese.
Among the "culinary flavorings" available on board are a "chocolate spread," as well as maple syrup, peanut butter, almond butter, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon, along with hot sauce, and spicy mustard.
"The food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the Moon," NASA said. The agency noted that, with no resupply or refrigeration options available during the flight, all meals must be shelf-stable and easy to prepare and consume inside the Orion spacecraft.
NASA added that food selection for Artemis II takes into account shelf life, food safety, nutritional value, crew preference, and compatibility with Orion’s mass, volume, and power requirements. Meals must also be suitable for microgravity conditions, minimize crumbs, and remain safe throughout the mission. Crew members had direct input into menu planning, sampling, and rating foods during preflight testing, with final menus set well before launch.
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Threads.
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