ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot took two Pokémon TCG cards to the International Space Station: Pikachu ex from Surging Sparks and Minior from Paradox Rift. Pokémon shared photos of both cards floating in the station's Cupola on 6 October 2026, during World Space Week.
Key facts
| Astronaut | Sophie Adenot, ESA (France) |
| Mission | εpsilon, International Space Station. Launched from Cape Canaveral in February 2026. |
| Cards | Pikachu ex 238/191 and Minior 201/182 |
| Photographed in | The Cupola, the station's seven-window observation module, with Earth below |
| Also flown | The Astronaut Pikachu plush, which the Pokémon Center ESA plush is based on |
| Revealed | 6 October 2026, on X (#PokemonxESA) |
| Occasion | Pokémon x ESA collaboration for World Space Week, 4–10 October 2026 |
| Photo credit | © ESA/NASA – S. Adenot |
The two cards
Both are existing Scarlet & Violet cards. Neither was made for the mission.
Pikachu ex is the chase card of Surging Sparks. Minior is a meteor Pokémon, and its Illustration Rare shows it falling through the sky as a shooting star. Its Ability is Far-Flying Meteor.
Not announced
No space-flown promo card. No plans to sell, auction or display the two cards that flew. No date for when on the mission the photos were taken.
Pokémon on X, 6 October 2026 (#WorldSpaceWeek2026, #PokemonxESA). Pokémon, "Pokémon and the European Space Agency Celebrate World Space Week 2026," 4 October 2026 — pokemon.com.
