To celebrate World Space Week, the ESA and Pokémon are joining forces. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Astronaut Pikachu floats inside the Cupola, the European-built observation module that offers spectacular views of Earth and is a favourite spot for astronauts living and working on the Station to watch our home planet pass by below. The European Space Agency (ESA) and Pokémon Company International are celebrating a very special plush toy's adventures. The Pikachu spent 67 days in orbit (April 11 to June 17), completing about 1,040 orbits.

World Space Week begins today, Thursday 4 October – a global series of global events hosted by the United Nations. This year's theme: 'Space unites the world'. Three new reports published today by the UK Space Agency emphasise how the potential of the space industry lies in not just in gazing out from Earth to the cosmos, but also in looking back to Earth from orbit in order to solve terrestrial problems. The reports reveal how the industry can help to save lives and livelihoods from natural disasters, address the major challenges confronting the agriculture sector, and deliver better management of forests to improve production and protect nature on a global scale. The first document, Space for Disaster Resilience in Developing Countries, explains how the space sector is well placed to contribute new types of information.