An ESA-shared video showed a Pikachu plush floating aboard the ISS, part of a collaboration celebrating World Space Week 2026. Astronauts have long carried soft toys as zero-gravity indicators and companions. Examples include Sophie Adenot’s Pikachu (67 days in orbit), India’s Shubhanshu Shukla’s swan 'Joy' in 2025, Snoopy, Baby Yoda, Olaf, and 1985’s STS-51D toys.
