Astronaut Pikachu is a new costumed Pikachu wearing a spacesuit, and it makes its debut during World Space Week 2026 in Pokémon GO. The costume is available worldwide through two free methods, so you do not need a ticket, paid research, or a trip to Europe to add it to your collection.
Quick answer: Defeat Astronaut Pikachu in one-star raids, or earn a guaranteed encounter by completing the free World Space Week Timed Research, which requires five raid wins. The event ends October 10 at 11:59 p.m. local time; claim the research by October 12.
Event dates and research deadline
The global in-game event and the free Timed Research do not expire at the same moment. The raids disappear when the event closes, but you get a two-day buffer to finish and claim the research rewards afterward.
| What | When (local time) |
|---|---|
| Event starts | October 4, 2026, 12:00 a.m. |
| Event ends | October 10, 2026, 11:59 p.m. |
| Timed Research claim deadline | October 12, 2026, 11:59 p.m. |
If you finish the five tasks but leave the final page uncollected, the encounter still expires. Open the research and claim the Astronaut Pikachu reward before the October 12 cutoff, even if you completed the steps earlier.
Free Timed Research tasks and rewards
The Timed Research is free for every Trainer and sits in your Today View. It contains a single step with five tasks, all centered on winning raids. Finishing all five unlocks the Astronaut Pikachu encounter along with the XP and Stardust listed below.
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Win a Raid | 2,500 XP |
| Win 2 Raids | 2,500 Stardust |
| Win 3 Raids | 2,500 XP |
| Win 4 Raids | 2,500 Stardust |
| Win 5 Raids | 2,500 XP |
| Completion | Astronaut Pikachu encounter, 2,500 XP, 2,500 Stardust |
You will know it worked when the final page shows the Astronaut Pikachu encounter and the game drops you into a catch screen. This route guarantees one copy, so it is the cheapest way to secure the costume if you only want a single Astronaut Pikachu.
Catch Astronaut Pikachu in one-star raids
Astronaut Pikachu is the featured one-star raid boss during the event. One-star raids are easy to solo, so you can clear them quickly and repeatedly to rack up encounters. Each win also counts toward the Timed Research tasks, so the two methods overlap neatly.
Repeatable raids are the better choice if you want extra copies, different IV spreads, or a shot at the Shiny. After you defeat the boss, you get a catch encounter. Astronaut Pikachu can be caught at a maximum of 536 CP normally, or 670 CP when weather boosted.
Clear enough room in your Pokémon storage before you start farming. The one-star tier means many Trainers can beat the boss solo in well under a minute with a strong attacker.
Shiny Astronaut Pikachu
Astronaut Pikachu is Shiny-eligible from its debut. No boosted Shiny rate has been announced, so a Shiny can appear but is not guaranteed and comes down to luck. If the Shiny is your goal, lean on the one-star raids, since each win is another encounter you can check rather than the single guaranteed research reward.
The European museum collaboration is separate
World Space Week is separate from the broader partnership linking The Pokémon Company with the European Space Agency. The standard costume is obtainable without traveling: worldwide one-star raids and free research are available from October 4 to October 10.
You only need to travel for the special Location Background, which marks an in-person museum visit. Astronaut Pikachu appears in one-star raids at six participating museums in person, starting October 4, 2026 and ending April 30, 2027:
- Science Museum, London
- Cité de l’espace, Toulouse
- Deutsches Museum, Nuremberg
- Museu de les Ciències, Valencia
- Space Expo, Noordwijk
- Euro Space Center, Transinne
Remote raiding does not earn the Location Background. You must be physically present at a partner museum, and the background is purely cosmetic. ESA facilities also host event gameplay during the October 4 to October 10 window, but they do not award the background.
For almost everyone, the simplest plan is to finish the free Timed Research for one guaranteed Astronaut Pikachu, then farm one-star raids if you want spares or a Shiny. Leave the museum trip for later only if the Location Background is specifically what you are after, since that route stays open for months.
