Nutella Jar Floats Into Artemis II Livestream Before Record

A jar of Nutella captured unexpected global attention during a NASA livestream from the Artemis II mission, drifting into view aboard the Orion spacecraft just minutes before the crew surpassed a 54-year-old distance record from Earth.

The incident occurred on April 6 as Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen orbited the Moon. With three minutes and 52 seconds remaining until they exceeded the Apollo 13 milestone of 248,655 miles, the container of chocolate-hazelnut spread floated lazily through the cabin in microgravity. Its label faced the camera under optimal lighting, creating a visually striking moment that viewers likened to a professional advertisement. The mission, launched nine days earlier from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marked the first crewed flight around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The Artemis II crew achieved several milestones that day. They traveled 252,752 miles from Earth, the farthest any humans have ventured since 1970. The spacecraft then passed behind the Moon's far side, entering a planned 40-minute communications blackout at 6:43 p.m. ET as the lunar surface blocked signals to...