Pikachu Spent 67 Days Orbiting Earth in Pokémon and ESA Space Collaboration

The Pokémon Company and European Space Agency have announced a collaboration to celebrate World Space Week, which runs from 4-10 October 2026. The partnership's centerpiece was a special Pikachu plush that traveled to the International Space Station, spending 67 days in orbit from 11 April to 27 June 2026 and completing 1,040 orbits around Earth.

The space-faring Pikachu joins a small roster of pop culture plushies that have traveled beyond our atmosphere. The character follows in the footsteps of Buzz Lightyear and other space-themed companions, though Pikachu's journey was considerably longer than most previous missions.

To mark the occasion, the ESA and Pokémon Company are hosting temporary exhibitions across European space centers and partner museums. The tour begins at ESA facilities in September 2026, visiting headquarters in Paris (19-20 September), ESRIN in Rome (25 September), ESTEC in Noordwijk (26-27 September), ESOC in Darmstadt (2 October), ESAC in Villanueva de la Cañada (3 October), and ECSAT in Harwell (10 October).

Museum exhibitions will follow from early October 2026 through April 2027 at seven locations across Europe, including the Cité de l'espace in Toulouse, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, Deutsches Museum in Nuremberg, Euro Space Center in Libin, Lucca Comics & Games in Lucca, the Science Museum in London, and Space Expo in Noordwijk. The exhibitions are designed to inspire curiosity about space exploration among audiences of all ages.

Players invested in Pokémon GO will also benefit from the partnership. Niantic's mobile game will feature a special event tied to the collaboration, though specific details about the in-game event have not yet been announced.