Pikachu in the Cupola | International Space Station

Pikachu in the Cupola | International Space Station

A special Astronaut Pikachu plush toy traveled to the International Space Station to join the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot as part of a partnership between ESA and The Pokémon Company International.

In this image, Astronaut Pikachu floats inside the Cupola, the European-built observation module that offers spectacular views of Earth and is a favorite spot for astronauts living and working on the Station to watch our home planet pass by below. The European Space Agency-built seven-windowed cupola is the International Space Station's "window to the world".

The International Space Station orbits Earth around 400 km above it, circling the planet every 90 minutes and treating its crew to around 16 sunrises and sunsets each day—a beautiful sight that has now been shared with Pikachu. Since 2000, astronauts have lived and worked continuously aboard the Station, carrying out science research using the unique microgravity conditions in orbit.

Sophie has spent more than 200 days in space as part of her εpsilon mission, conducting scientific research and completing three spacewalks over the summer to help maintain the orbiting laboratory.

ESA and Pokémon are teaming up to inspire the next generation of explorers. Whether through science or imagination, discovery begins with curiosity.

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe where humans co-exist with special creatures, a large variety of species endowed with special powers.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4rO47Rv

Follow Sophie’s mission on the εpsilon page: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/epsilon 

Follow Expedition 75:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credits: ESA/NASA – S. Adenot
Release Date: Sept. 23, 2026

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