Pikachu reaches orbit: a card’s history belongs to its copy

Two cards with an unusual destination

PokéBeach reports that ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot brought the cards aboard the ISS, and that Pokémon shared photographs showing them floating with Earth behind them. This is a story about physical cards making a journey.

A Pikachu collection at home can take several different directions. Pikachu ex 238/191 from Surging Sparks, Pikachu 60/64 from Jungle and Ash's Pikachu SM108 from SM Promos provide three distinct catalog identities to consider. They are collecting alternatives here, without any claim that these individual copies travelled to space.

Read the reporting: PokéBeach ↗

Separate the printing from the object

A set name and card number identify the printing you want. An individual copy’s history is a separate matter, requiring evidence tied to that object. Buying a matching printing cannot establish that your copy accompanied an astronaut.

That distinction helps when writing a wish list. Record the card’s name, set and number first. If a seller attaches a story to a particular copy, consider what documentation actually connects the story to it. A photograph of another copy is context, rather than proof of the offered card’s journey.

Three Pikachu choices, three estimates

Our latest card snapshot, dated October 10, 2026, puts Pikachu ex 238/191 from Surging Sparks at a $283.48 market estimate. Pikachu 60/64 from Jungle is $28.87, while Ash's Pikachu SM108 from SM Promos is $29.58.

These are card-market estimates, not offers for specific copies. The figures do not establish condition, explain collector demand or attach any mission history to a card. They simply give three identifiable targets a dated point of comparison.

Choose the entry you most want to keep, then check cards already owned before adding another purchase. Using exact numbers makes this small selection easier to maintain, especially when several entries share Pikachu’s name.

Keep the exhibition on its own checklist

ESA’s September 19 announcement describes a broader Pokémon collaboration, including an exhibition that combines space science with Pokémon characters. It lists European venues hosting the programme from early October 2026 through April 2027, including London’s Science Museum and Space Expo in Noordwijk.

For anyone considering a visit, check the venue’s own dates and admission arrangements before travelling. The exhibition can be a collecting memory in its own right; a card purchase need not be part of the plan.

The useful takeaway from the ISS photographs is simple: decide whether your goal is a particular printing, a themed collection or an object with documented history. Each calls for a different checklist.

Read the reporting: European Space Agency ↗