Pokémon GO Celebrates World Space Week by Sending Pikachu to the Stars in a Special Collaboration with the European Space Agency

Pikachu’s legendary wardrobe is expanding once again, proving that the iconic Electric-type mascot owns more stylish garments than almost anyone else in the Pokémon universe. Between an endless collection of party hats, various iterations of Ash’s signature caps, and countless other seasonal costumes introduced over the years, Pikachu has become as famous for its fashion choices as it has for being the face of the franchise. Now, just in time to celebrate World Space Week, Niantic is adding a brand-new, out-of-this-world look to the creature’s massive closet by outfitting the beloved mouse in a fully-equipped astronaut suit.

The introduction of Astronaut Pikachu marks the primary highlight of the mobile game’s latest space-themed celebration. Trainers eager to add this cosmic variant to their collections will be pleased to know that acquiring the special Pokémon is relatively straightforward. Rather than hiding the costumed character behind difficult, high-tier boss battles that require massive coordination and a large gathering of fellow players, Astronaut Pikachu is making its debut appearance exclusively in one-star raids. This accessible placement ensures that solo players and casual trainers alike can easily take down the raid boss and secure an encounter without needing to round up a local community group.

To accompany the raid debut, developers have rolled out a dedicated block of free Timed Research tasks. Players who choose to participate in these missions will find an extra encounter with Astronaut Pikachu waiting among the completion rewards. However, trainers will need to keep a close eye on the calendar, as the Timed Research comes with a strict expiration window. The tasks must be claimed and finished by midnight on October 12th, which falls just a couple of days after the broader World Space Week event officially wraps up, giving participants a brief grace period to cross the finish line and claim their space-faring rewards.

While the celebratory week itself has a defined timeframe, the overarching space theme is designed to linger in Pokémon GO for a remarkably long time. In an ambitious and expansive partnership, Pokémon GO has officially teamed up with the European Space Agency to bring a series of unique, real-world integrations to various science and space institutions across Europe. Running from October 4th all the way through to April 30th, 2027, this long-term collaboration ensures that six prominent European science and space museums will feature specialized gameplay experiences for visiting trainers over the course of several years.

Among the participating institutions is the world-famous Science Museum located in London, which serves as a major hub for UK-based players. Joining it on the prestigious list are the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse, France, the renowned Deutsches Museum in Nuremberg, Germany, the striking Museu de les Ciències situated in València, Spain, the Space Expo located in Noordwijk, Netherlands, and the Euro Space Center based in Transinne, Belgium.

Trainers who manage to visit any of these designated European museums during the activation windows will unlock a series of exclusive gameplay perks. Astronaut Pikachu will appear in one-star raids at these specific locations, but with a unique and highly collectible twist: the Pokémon will come attached with a special Location Background, marking the exact geographic site where it was caught. Additionally, special Timed Research unlocks at these museums for the duration of the partnership, and a selection of the encounters yielded from these tasks will also carry the coveted Location Background. To sweeten the deal further, players who spin PokéStops at these participating museums between October 4th and October 10th will be rewarded with themed Field Research tasks designed specifically for the partnership.

The real-world museum celebrations will also heavily influence the local environment for players walking the grounds during the opening week. Wild spawns in the immediate vicinity of the museums will shift to reflect the cosmic theme, offering boosted encounters with space-oriented Pokémon. Clefairy, Lunatone, Solrock, Elgyem, and Starmie are all prominently featured on the boosted spawn list, alongside Elgyem, a psychic-type creature whose peculiar, otherworldly design has always felt right at home in a UFO documentary or a science fiction feature.

For players who find themselves unable to travel to one of the six major European museums, Niantic and the European Space Agency have arranged an alternative option. A selection of seven official ESA operational sites will also feature specialized Pokémon GO gameplay from October 4th to October 10th. While these specific research and spawn activations will not include the unique Location Backgrounds found at the public museums, they provide local communities near these facilities with a chance to engage with the World Space Week celebrations. This secondary list of locations includes prominent hubs such as the ESA Headquarters in Paris, France, and the ECSAT facility located at Harwell in the United Kingdom, among other vital European Space Agency centers.

As trainers prepare to venture out into their local parks, city centers, and museum grounds to hunt down yet another rare, costumed iteration of Pikachu, it is also worth keeping an eye on the broader ecosystem of the game. Before heading out into the elements to tackle raids and spin PokéStops for the space celebration, players are encouraged to check for and redeem the latest active Pokémon GO promo codes to stock up on useful items and resources that might aid them in their ongoing collection goals.