Pokemon Cards on the ISS: Pikachu ex and Minior Get a Space Story
Pokemon confirms Pikachu ex and Minior cards flew to the ISS with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. Here's what's official and what's still just a headline.
Pokemon has confirmed it on its official X account: ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot took a Pikachu ex and a Minior card aboard the International Space Station. The post includes two photos of the cards floating in the station’s Cupola window with Earth below, credited to ESA/NASA and Adenot.
Most of us worry about dropping a card on the carpet. These two reportedly got a view of the entire carpet-producing planet.
View this post on X
Posted by @Pokemon, October 6. Photos © ESA/NASA, S. Adenot · View on X →
PokéBeach broke the card story the same day. Pokemon’s earlier October 4 article covers the wider European Space Agency partnership and an Astronaut Pikachu plush’s ISS journey, but doesn’t mention the cards; the X post is the official card confirmation.
What the card report says
PokéBeach identifies the cards as Pikachu ex and Minior, and Screen Rant identifies the Pikachu ex as the Surging Sparks Special Illustration Rare (238/191). PokéBeach adds that Adenot launched aboard SpaceX Crew-12 on February 13 and reached the ISS on February 14, so the photos were taken during that mission and shared now for World Space Week.
PokéBeach calls this the first time Pokemon cards have reached space, contrasting it with previous third-party “edge of space” stunts that only reached the stratosphere. Pokemon’s own post doesn’t make that claim, so the historical first is the press’s framing. We have not independently established an exhaustive history of cards taken into orbit, so this article does not adopt it as a proven record.
What Pokemon confirms
Pokemon’s October 4 announcement confirms a collaboration with ESA for World Space Week 2026. It describes Sophie Adenot traveling with a special Pikachu plush and capturing photos and videos both on Earth and aboard the ISS. Its October 6 post on X then confirms the two cards.
The Astronaut Pikachu plush aboard the ISS. Images: The Pokémon Company.
The official article also announces collaboration merchandise, including plush and Pokemon TCG accessories, plus exhibitions at ESA facilities and museums in Europe. Those are part of the wider partnership, not evidence of a new space-exclusive card set.
The Pokémon x ESA collection, including TCG accessories. Image: The Pokémon Company.
Keep the claims separate
| Claim | Evidence used here | How to describe it |
|---|---|---|
| Pokemon and ESA have a World Space Week collaboration | Pokemon’s official announcement | Officially announced |
| An astronaut Pikachu plush traveled to the ISS | Pokemon’s official announcement | Officially confirmed in that article |
| Pikachu ex and Minior cards traveled to the ISS | Pokemon’s official October 6 post on X, with photos | Officially confirmed |
| These were the first Pokemon cards in space | PokéBeach’s and Screen Rant’s framing; not stated in Pokemon’s post | A press claim, not independently established here |
| The cards will rise in value because of the trip | No evidence checked supports this | Do not claim it |
The plush and the cards are different objects, and they were confirmed separately: the plush in Pokemon’s October 4 article, the cards in its October 6 post.
Why collectors might care
This is a collecting-culture story: familiar cards in an unfamiliar setting. It is a fun reason to revisit the artwork, not a reason to assume that ordinary copies now have space-flight provenance.
A copy in your binder is still your copy. It did not secretly become an astronaut while you were at work.
There is no verified sale, valuation or distribution plan for the reported flown cards in the sources used here. There is also no basis here for a price target or a buying rush.
Sources
Checked October 7, 2026.
- Pokemon on X: card confirmation and photos - Official October 6 post with ESA/NASA photos of both cards aboard the ISS.
- Screen Rant: Pikachu ex card sent to space - Identifies the Surging Sparks Pikachu ex SIR (238/191).
- PokéBeach: Pokemon cards sent to space - October 6 card-specific report. Crew-12 dates and the historical-first framing remain attributed.
- Pokemon: World Space Week 2026 collaboration with ESA - Official October 4 confirmation of the partnership, plush journey, merchandise categories and exhibitions.
