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ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot gave a Pikachu plush a special tour of the International Space Station (ISS) during her mission. The toy spent 67 days in orbit, and an ESA photograph shows it floating in the station’s Cupola. The visit was part of a 2026 collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International—not a trip by a living or animated Pikachu.
What happened to the Pikachu plush?
ESA says a Pikachu plush traveled to the ISS with astronaut Sophie Adenot and received a special “Astronaut Pikachu” experience. It was in orbit from 11 April to 17 June 2026: 67 days, during which ESA reports it completed approximately 1,040 orbits. These figures are reported by ESA, rather than independently recalculated here. ESA’s collaboration announcement describes the flight and the wider program.
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The real event was a plush toy aboard a working space station. “Astronaut Pikachu” is the collaboration’s playful presentation of the character, not evidence that a person, living creature, or animated character was aboard.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhere was Pikachu photographed?
ESA’s image shows the plush floating in the Cupola, the European-built observation module on the ISS. Its windows give astronauts a view of Earth below, making the Cupola a distinctive setting for the photograph. ESA describes the station as about 400 km above Earth and says it completes an orbit every 90 minutes, producing around 16 sunrises and sunsets a day. These are ESA’s approximate figures in the image caption. See ESA’s Cupola image and caption.
#1 Best Overall
- POKÉMON PLUSH: Choose to cuddle Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon
- SPECIAL MATERIAL: Snuggly 8-inch Pokémon plush is made with super soft material
- AUTHENTIC DETAILS: Pikachu looks like it jumped out of the Pokémon Animated Series
- TEAM BUILDING: Collect other 8-inch Pokémon plush and build your own unique team
- OFFICIAL PRODUCT: Officially licensed Pokémon product from Jazwares
What was included in the 2026 ESA–Pokémon collaboration?
The plush’s visit was one part of a broader program announced for World Space Week 2026 by ESA and The Pokémon Company International. ESA says the collaboration also included an exhibition, merchandise, and a Pokémon GO event. Its announcement describes a temporary exhibition at venues across Europe from early October 2026 to April 2027; check the relevant venue for current dates and access details. ESA’s announcement is the source for the program details.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said: “Inspiring future generations is a key part of ESA’s mission. Through this collaboration with Pokémon, we are unlocking new ways for people across Europe to connect with space through a unique and engaging experience.”
Rank #2
- POKÉMON PLUSH: Choose to cuddle Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon.
- SPECIAL MATERIAL: Snuggly 12-inch Pokémon plush is made with super soft material.
- AUTHENTIC DETAILS: Pikachu looks like it jumped out of the Pokémon Animated Series.
- TEAM BUILDING: Collect other 12-inch Pokémon plush and build your own unique team.
- OFFICIAL PRODUCT: Officially licensed Pokémon product from Jazwares.
Where to see more of the ISS
The Pikachu image is a short, character-led glimpse of the station. For different kinds of ISS exploration, ESA and NASA offer separate resources; these do not show the Pokémon collaboration or the same mission.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- CAPTAIN PIKACHU: Get ready to set sail with Captain Pikachu
- SPECIAL HAT: 8-inch Pokémon plush is super soft and wears a special captain’s hat
- AUTHENTIC DETAILS: Plush looks like it jumped right out of the Pokémon Animated Series
- TEAM BUILDING: Collect other 8-inch Pokémon plush and build your own unique team
- OFFICIAL PRODUCT: Officially licensed Pokémon product from Jazwares
Rank #3
- ICONIC POKÉMON: Get cozy with Pokémon and the new Velvet Pikachu Plush
- UNIQUE DESIGN: Unique 8-inch plush is woven with high quality velvet
- SELECT SERIES: Velvet Plush is a part of the Select Pokémon plush series
- LIMITED RELEASE: This limited line is only available for a short time in 2023
- OFFICIAL PRODUCT: Officially licensed Pokémon product from Jazwares
- ESA’s André Kuipers station tour is a one-hour tour of the complete station, recorded at the end of his PromISSe mission. ESA says Kuipers spent 193 days in space and returned on 1 July 2012.
- NASA’s announcement of Frank Rubio’s Spanish-language ISS tour describes a tour recorded during his 371-day mission and points to NASA+ and other agency channels.
- NASA’s 3D virtual tour lets viewers explore ISS modules digitally.
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