Nutella goes viral in space during Artemis II Moon mission; NASA responds

In a playful twist to the historic Artemis II mission, Nutella has captured global attention after sending its iconic spread into orbit, adding a viral, pop-culture moment to a landmark scientific journey around the Moon.

“Honoured to have travelled further than any spread in history... Taking spreading smiles to new heights,” Nutella wrote in X, along with a video of its product floating inside the space pod.

The clip quickly took off online, with users praising the brand’s creativity. One user joked, “Limited edition ‘Moontella’ coming soon or nah?” Even NASA's Kennedy Space Centre joined in, posting, “Enjoying sweet treats while our Artemis crew takes sweet photos of the Moon!”

The lighthearted moment unfolded alongside the high-stakes Artemis II mission, which has seen astronauts circle the Moon in a landmark journey marking humanity’s return to deep space exploration after more than five decades.

US President Donald Trump personally called the astronauts to congratulate them.

"You really are modern-day pioneers -- all of you," Trump said, before launching into a friendly exchange with the three American and one Canadian crew members.

"You've got a lot of courage doing what you're doing," he added, praising NASA's first lunar flyby in over 50 years. The Artemis II mission has also broken the record for the farthest distance travelled by humans from Earth, breaking the Apollo 13 mission's record of 248,655 miles.

"America will be second to none in space and everything we're doing, and we will continue to lead the whole thing into the stars, this incredible journey into the stars," Trump said, crediting himself with choosing to save the space program.

During the call, Trump also asked the astronauts about their experience, including what it felt like to lose communication with Earth while passing the Moon’s far side.

As the astronauts wrapped up their lunar flyby and began their journey back to Earth, they shared breathtaking insights from space. For nearly seven hours, the crew remained glued to the spacecraft windows, taking in views rarely witnessed by humans.

"Humans probably have not evolved to see what we're seeing," said Victor Glover. "It is truly hard to describe. It is amazing."

The team described observing the Moon’s surface in vivid detail, including flashes of light believed to be meteor impacts. They also witnessed a rare solar eclipse, as the Moon passed in front of the Sun.

Mission scientists say the observations could prove invaluable.

"I can't say enough how much science we've already learned," Kelsey Young told the astronauts.

"You really brought the Moon closer for us today, and we cannot say thank you enough."