The Pokémon Company International and the European Space Agency have announced a collaboration dedicated to space exploration, which in the coming months will bring a traveling exhibition, exclusive merchandise and a series of special activities within Pokémon GO. A project that, in reality, has already had a very special preview: a plush of Pikachu was brought to the International Space Station during the mission of the astronaut ESA Sophie Adenot.
Pikachu spent 67 days in orbit, from 11 April to 17 June 2026, completing about 1,040 orbits around Earth. The initiative anticipates a collaboration designed to bring new generations closer to space exploration, combining the popularity of the Pokémon franchise with ESA's scientific and dissemination activities.
The heart of the project will be a ESA x Pokémon exhibition designed for the whole family, in which real scientific content will be accompanied by a visual component inspired by the world of Pokémon. Through several thematic panels you can discover how Europe launches its missions, supports astronauts on the International Space Station and studies the Sun, the Solar System and the Universe, with some Pokémon used to make the route more immediate and engaging. The exhibition will make its debut during the ESA Open Day 2026, starting from the headquarters of Paris on 19 and 20 September. ESRIN will follow in Frascati on 25 September, ESTEC in the Netherlands on 26 and 27 September, ESOC in Germany on 2 October, ESAC in Spain on 3 October and ECSAT in the United Kingdom on 10 October. Subsequently the exhibition will continue to travel to Europe until April 2027, reaching museums and events in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Italy will not miss: besides the appointment at ESA ESRIN by Frascati, the exhibition will also stop Lucca Comics & Games, thus inserting the collaboration within one of the main Italian events dedicated to pop culture.
ESA and Pokémon will also launch a line exclusive merchandise ESA x Pokémon, composed of clothing, accessories and collector's items. The products will be distributed through the respective sales channels and in the shops of the museums involved in the initiative.
The collaboration will also arrive on Pokémon GO. From 4 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, visiting scientific and spatial museums participating in Europe will be possible to participate in special activities and meet Pikachu astronaut. There are Raids of level one, Time Research and dedicated meetings, with some Pokémon that will also present a special background linked to the visited location.
Between 4 and 10 October the initiative will be further expanded with field research and increased presence of certain wild Pokémon at participating museums. In the same period almost all these activities will also be available in the European ESA offices involved in collaboration.
ESA x Pokémon will then accompany fans from autumn 2026 until spring 2027, combining scientific dissemination, collecting and Pokémon GO in a project that has already brought Pikachu far further than any region of the series: directly into orbit around Earth.
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