Following last month's announcement that the European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company would team up for World Space Week 2026, trainers can now participate in a limited-time event to find and catch Astronaut Pikachu in Pokémon GO.
After enjoying 67 days in orbit, Pikachu has returned to Earth, and it'll be showing up at select locations — a collection of space and science museums in Europe — where Pokémon GO players can participate in one-star raids and Timed Research tasks. Both will unlock event-themed Pokémon, but this Astronaut variant of Pikachu is especially tailor-made for the ESA x TPCI collaboration (and remarkably cute).
Pokémon GO players only have until October 10, 2026, to participate in this Astronaut Pikachu event, though there will be more events and Timed Research opportunities will happen between now and April 30, 2027. As a bonus, the developers have teased that Shiny versions of Pikachu's spacefaring version may also show up if you're lucky.
Of course, you'll need to visit those museums in person, and while we wouldn't suggest going on a trip only to catch a Pokémon with your phone, it's a cute little extra if you're planning a trip to any of the participating cities and museums.
Here's the list as shared by the Pokémon GO team:
- Science Museum – London, England
- Cité de l'espace – Toulouse, France
- Deutsches Museum – Nuremberg, Germany
- Museu de les Ciències – València, Spain
- Space Expo – Noordwijk, Netherlands
- Euro Space Center – Transinne, Belgium
Pokémon GO is a free-to-play augmented reality (AR) mobile game where players can catch Pokémon out in the real world. It's available on both Android and iOS phones.
Pokémon GO raids require players to team up to defeat Pokémon bosses taking over specific gyms located on the real-world map. As for Timed Research lists, they only ask players to complete a number of tasks.
No matter what you choose to do, if you visit any of the participating museums, we must underline that rewards must be claimed before Monday, October 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Good luck, trainers; go catch that Pikachu!
