Pokémon ESA Collaboration: Pikachu Plush Spends 67 Days on ISS Ahead of World Space Week Exhibitions

The Pokémon Company and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced a cross-promotional initiative that will be highlighted during World Space Week (4–10 October 2026). As part of the program, a Pikachu plush was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) for 67 days — from 11 April to 27 June 2026 — completing 1,040 Earth orbits before returning to Earth. The project is framed as a public outreach effort to spark curiosity about space exploration among audiences of all ages. Promotional messaging around the collaboration emphasized themes such as connection and affection, describing the mission with language that referenced being "connected to life" and encouraging audiences to "connect to love." Those lines will serve as part of exhibition copy and interpretive material at ESA facilities and partner museums across Europe. ESA-hosted events are scheduled at agency sites in September and October 2026. The confirmed ESA locations and dates are: - ESA Headquarters, Paris, France: 19–20 September 2026 - ESRIN, Rome, Italy: 25 September 2026 - ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands: 26–27 September 2026 - ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany: 2 October 2026 - ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain: 3 October 2026 - ECSAT, Harwell, United Kingdom: 10 October 2026 Following the ESA site program, museum exhibitions will run from early October 2026 through April 2027 at major European institutions, including Cité de l’espace (Toulouse), Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (Valencia), Deutsches Museum (Nuremberg), Euro Space Center (Libin), Lucca Comics & Games (Lucca), Science Museum (London), and the Space Expo (Noordwijk). The collaboration also includes an in-game activation for Pokémon GO players, offering a way for mobile audiences to engage with the initiative. Pokémon GO remains operated by Niantic, while The Pokémon Company continues to manage the broader Pokémon brand; Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures are stakeholders in The Pokémon Company and remain closely associated with the franchise’s console releases on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch. This partnership follows a growing trend of entertainment properties collaborating with space agencies for public outreach. By combining a globally recognized franchise with ESA’s educational mission, the program aims to broaden interest in STEM and space careers while providing fans with a unique cultural touchpoint tied to World Space Week 2026.