Pokémon GO · Event field guide · 2026
World Space Week Pokémon GO 2026: your Astronaut Pikachu plan
One costume, three different goals. Get Astronaut Pikachu, finish the free research, or plan a museum visit for a Location Background—without mixing up the deadlines.
Original game renders via Leek Duck. Pokémon artwork © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK. Not a prediction of encounter odds.
01 · Dates, separated
Four windows—not one long event
Use the dates for the activity you actually want. The global event starts at 00:00 on ; its end and the global research deadline are both 23:59 on their respective dates, in local time. These are event limits, not promises of raids spawning at midnight.
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Worldwide costume raids & research availability
Open the game during the event and check that the free research is in your Today view. Do not plan on first unlocking it after the global event ends.
- , 23:59
Finish and claim the global Timed Research
If you already have it, complete the tasks and collect every reward—including the final encounter—before expiry. Finishing a task alone is not the same as claiming its reward.
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Museum raids & local Timed Research
The six participating museums have a longer announced gameplay window. Visit to unlock local Timed Research; use its own in-game timer. The global October 12 deadline does not describe every museum research quest.
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Museum Field Research, extra wild spawns & ESA sites
These shorter activities run during World Space Week only. ESA sites specifically exclude Location Backgrounds, even though they also offer the space-themed gameplay.
The dates below describe the announced schedule, not a live availability check. Always check the game and the venue before travelling.
Source: Pokémon GO global announcement · Pokémon GO museum and ESA announcement.
02 · Your route
Plan for the reward you actually want
The three plans below work as a reading checklist with no JavaScript. Enable JavaScript to filter by goal, check a planning date and track your next actions. Nothing is sent to an account or saved after you reload.
Just the costume: stop when you have it
During the global window, a successful Astronaut Pikachu raid gives you a catch opportunity without needing to finish the five-win quest first. The research provides another encounter after all tasks. A museum trip is unnecessary for this goal.
- Check that the global research has appeared before spending passes. For the direct raid route, check the boss is Astronaut Pikachu, not a different Pikachu costume.
- Use an available free in-person Raid Pass if a suitable local raid fits your day. A raid victory is progress; catching the reward Pokémon is a separate step.
- Once the costume is caught, decide whether the research rewards justify your remaining raids. You do not owe the event extra paid attempts.
Shiny hunting: set a stopping point first
Shiny Astronaut Pikachu is available, but the announcement does not publish a shiny rate. A one-star label, a costume or a museum location is not evidence of a guaranteed shiny or a particular boosted rate.
- Choose a maximum number of passes and a time limit before starting. Keep the budget comfortable even if every encounter is regular.
- Use costume encounters, including your research reward, as opportunities—not a promise. We do not apply a generic 1-in-20 or 1-in-64 rate to this event.
- Stop at your limit. Another raid does not become more likely to be shiny merely because earlier attempts were not.
Location Background: choose the museum, then the raid
The official background opportunity is tied to in-person raids at the six participating museums. It is not guaranteed on every catch. Some local research encounters can also have a background; that is separate from the worldwide quest.
- Choose a participating museum from the access table. Do not confuse Space Expo with nearby ESTEC, or Nuremberg’s Deutsches Museum with Munich.
- Check opening hours, entry requirements and the game at the location. Plan for legal public access, not for entering an ESA facility without permission.
- Join the eligible raid in person and inspect the caught Pokémon’s background. A Remote Raid Pass is not a substitute for the announced in-person requirement.
Source: Pokémon GO global announcement · Pokémon GO museum and ESA announcement.
03 · Free Timed Research
Five wins total—not fifteen
The published quest has one stage with five cumulative raid-win thresholds. The same fifth win completes the last outstanding threshold; you do not add 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5. The task wording does not restrict wins to Astronaut Pikachu raids.
| Task / milestone | Reward |
|---|---|
| Win 1 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 |
| Complete the stage | Astronaut Pikachu encounter + 2,500 XP + 2,500 Stardust |
10,000 XP + 7,500 Stardust + one Astronaut Pikachu encounter
Task rewards plus completion rewards, before Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces or other bonuses. Raid rewards themselves are not included.
Source: Leek Duck task list · Serebii event database.
A practical no-paid-pass plan
Under the standard rule, you can collect one free Raid Pass per day from a Gym Photo Disc if you are not already holding one. It works for in-person raids. Five available play days with one win each can cover the quest without buying passes, provided the research is active and you finish and claim in time. Event bonuses can change pass availability.
Example: with two wins already recorded, you need three more—not a fresh set of five. On October 11–12, use eligible raids that are actually available; do not expect the worldwide Astronaut Pikachu rotation to have been extended.
“Free research” means no research ticket is required. It does not mean five remote passes are included, or that any late-starting player has enough free-pass days left.
Source: Pokémon GO Help Center: raid passes · Pokémon GO global announcement.
04 · Raid quick reference
Know what the CP numbers do—and do not—tell you
Astronaut Pikachu is an Electric-type one-star boss. Bring your strongest suitable Ground-type attackers with Ground-type moves; there is no need to build an expensive new team just for a costume. If your team struggles, take help rather than assume every account can solo it.
- Perfect IV raid catch · no weather boost
- 536 CP
- Perfect IV raid catch · rainy-weather boost
- 670 CP
These are 15/15/15 raid-encounter CP values, not the boss CP and not Timed Research encounter values. CP does not predict shininess or a Location Background; check the encounter and the Pokémon details.
For a collection goal, one caught costume is already success. For shiny or background goals, decide separately how much uncertainty you are willing to pay for. We have not assigned an invented probability to either.
Source: Serebii event database · Pokémon GO global announcement.
05 · Europe, with access notes
Six museums with background opportunities
Pokémon GO announces museum gameplay from through . That does not make every exhibition, shop or building open for that entire period. Venue links below are the starting point for checking your particular visit, not a guarantee that a raid will be available when you arrive.
| Museum / location | What to check before travelling |
|---|---|
| Science MuseumLondon, England | Book free general admission. The Pokémon Space Trail runs October 2, 2026–January 3, 2027; the shop has separate timed tickets. Neither is the full Pokémon GO gameplay window. Official visit information: Science Museum |
| Cité de l’espaceToulouse, France | Check the museum’s current ticket and opening information. The GO announcement does not grant free museum admission or promise round-the-clock access. Official visit information: Cité de l’espace |
| Deutsches Museum NürnbergNuremberg, Germany | The venue says Astronaut Pikachu can be caught outside without an entry ticket. Exhibition entry requires a museum ticket. This is the Nuremberg location, not Munich. Official visit information: Deutsches Museum Nürnberg |
| Museu de les CiènciesValència, Spain | Check admission and opening times for Museu de les Ciències specifically. Do not assume a ticket for another part of the City of Arts and Sciences covers your planned visit. Official visit information: Museu de les Ciències |
| Space ExpoNoordwijk, Netherlands | The venue advertises its exhibition, scavenger hunt and pop-up shop for October 3–31, 2026. Check tickets and later visit arrangements separately. Space Expo is not the ESTEC ESA-site entry in the list below. Official visit information: Space Expo |
| Euro Space CenterTransinne, Belgium | Check the venue’s day-visit tickets and opening calendar before setting off. The in-game event listing is not an admission ticket or permission to enter closed areas. Official visit information: Euro Space Center |
Museum Field Research and increased space-themed wild encounters are only announced for October 4–10. The longer museum window covers raids and the local Timed Research unlock; the precise expiry of a local quest must be read in the game.
Source: Pokémon GO museum and ESA announcement.
Seven ESA sites: no Location Backgrounds
ESA-site gameplay runs October 4–10 only and explicitly excludes Location Backgrounds. These are working facilities, not seven extra museums with unrestricted entry.
- ESA HQ · Paris, France
- ESA ESRIN · Frascati, near Rome, Italy
- ESA ESOC · Darmstadt, Germany
- ESA ESAC · near Madrid, Spain
- ESA ESTEC · Noordwijk, Netherlands
- ESA ESEC · near Redu, Belgium
- ESA ECSAT · Harwell, United Kingdom
For example, ESRIN advertises limited public visits on October 5–9 at 15:00 and 16:00, with advance confirmation required. Use ESA’s ESRIN visitor announcement for the access procedure; the game announcement itself is not permission to enter.
06 · Avoid the common mistakes
World Space Week Pokémon GO FAQ
Can I get Astronaut Pikachu outside Europe?
Yes. The worldwide event offers one-star raids and free Timed Research. The six European museums add a separate Location Background opportunity; they are not the only way to obtain the costume.
Does the event end on October 10 or October 12?
The global event ends October 10, 2026 at 23:59 local time. Global Timed Research tasks and all reward claims must be finished before October 12 at 23:59 local time. The extra days do not extend worldwide costume raids.
Do I need five raids or fifteen?
Five wins recorded while the research is active. Its one stage has cumulative thresholds at one, two, three, four and five wins—not five sequential stages totalling fifteen.
What are the shiny odds?
Shiny Astronaut Pikachu is confirmed, but an event-specific rate is not published in the official announcement. We cannot responsibly turn that into a 1-in-20, 1-in-64 or guaranteed result.
Is a museum background guaranteed?
No guarantee is stated. The announcement offers a chance through eligible in-person museum raids and says some local research encounters may have a background. Neither a shiny nor a background is promised on every catch.
Can I remote raid for the Location Background?
The announced museum background opportunity specifically requires in-person raids. Do not buy a Remote Raid Pass expecting it to satisfy that rule. ESA sites do not offer these backgrounds at all.
Can I first unlock the global research on October 11?
Do not count on it. The official availability statement covers the global event, October 4–10. October 12 is the completion and claim deadline, not a separately announced extension for first acquiring the quest.
What can I do after October 12?
The announced continuing opportunity is gameplay at the six museums through April 30, 2027, subject to access and local quest timers. The global research is over. Exhibition and shop dates may be shorter than the gameplay window.
07 · Evidence & maintenance
What is verified, and what is advice?
- Dates, availability and location eligibility come from Pokémon GO global announcement and Pokémon GO museum and ESA announcement. Check those announcements and the in-game timer if a schedule changes.
- The five tasks and their rewards were cross-checked against Leek Duck task list and Serebii event database. Raid CP comes from the event database; the reward total is our arithmetic, not a separate bonus.
- Access notes use the linked museum and ESA pages, checked . Where the venue does not settle a ticket question, we say to check rather than invent an access policy.
- Goal selection, pass budgets and the checklist are our editorial advice. The planner applies the published dates locally; it does not read your Pokémon GO account, verify a raid or predict a shiny.
- Maintenance checkpoints: October 10 (global event closes), October 12 (global research closes), and April 30, 2027 (announced museum window closes). The planner changes its guidance by date, but facts and venue access still require editorial rechecking. No unannounced return is assumed.