Earth and climate
ESA ESRIN Pokémon GO tours: free guided Earth observation walks
Pokémon GO comes to ESA's ESRIN in Frascati: free guided tours from 5 to 9 October 2026, with mandatory booking by email.
In brief
Pokémon GO will be integrated into outreach tours at ESA's ESRIN in Frascati from 5 to 9 October 2026; booking is mandatory by email and ESA confirmation is required for entry.
Key points
- Event from 5 to 9 October 2026 at ESA's ESRIN in Frascati.
- Guided tours every day at 15:00 and 16:00; limited places.
- Booking mandatory via contactesrin@esa.int with first name, last name, nationality and date/time.
- The event combines play and outreach about satellites and Earth observation data.
- Program and visitable areas may change until confirmation by email.
Pokémon GO comes to ESA’s ESRIN, where the game becomes part of outreach on Earth observation. Taking part requires a booking, entry follows a few rules, and the guided routes run inside and around the Frascati site.
What the ESA’s ESRIN initiative is
The initiative is an official collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International: the aim is to bring Pokémon GO to ESA’s ESRIN by combining space outreach and play during World Space Week. The event leverages the popularity of the mobile game to bring the public closer to topics of Earth observation and technologies for environmental monitoring. The ESA official note describes the partnership and the event objectives.
The goal is to connect the game with scientific content about Earth observation
The event originates from the official collaboration between ESA and The Pokémon Company International.
Dates, times and location ESA’s ESRIN
The event takes place from 5 to 9 October 2026 at ESA’s ESRIN in Frascati, the European Space Research Institute dedicated to Earth observation. Guided tours are scheduled every day at 15:00 and 16:00. The play areas will be those around the site, with stops touching places linked to activities monitoring the climate, the oceans and the territory. ESA’s ESRIN is located in Frascati and hosts environmental monitoring activities.
How to participate
Participation is free but places for the tours are limited: booking is mandatory. To book you must write to contactesrin@esa.int indicating your first name, last name, nationality and the chosen date and time. ESA will reply by email to confirm participation and that confirmation email must be shown at the entrance. Email booking is the formal requirement for entry.
Participation is free but places for the tours are limited.
On arrival the email confirmation is requested for security reasons and to respect the institute’s operational areas. Visitors must follow the directions of ESA staff during the routes and respect any zones closed for technical reasons.
What to expect during the tours
The tours will be led by an ESA expert who will explain the role of ESA’s ESRIN and show how satellites and remote sensing data support monitoring phenomena such as fires, floods and land use changes. The game activities are integrated with scientific explanations: while capturing virtual creatures, participants will receive context on satellite imagery and the instruments used to collect that data. The tours combine playful experience and scientific Earth observation content.
Examples will be concrete and aimed at the public: practical use cases of satellite data will be illustrated, without going into sensitive operational procedures. Maps, points of interest and the itinerary can be adapted for logistical or security reasons. The confirmation email is the only definitive version of the program.
What remains uncertain and how details might change
The precise list of internal areas accessible remains uncertain, because some sections of ESRIN are operational and subject to restrictions. The organization may modify the map of stops due to technical or security needs. In addition, tour capacity may be recalibrated day by day if the number of bookings exceeds expectations. The visitable areas and the detailed program may change until confirmed by email.
Those who book are advised to be flexible about the itinerary and to check the confirmation email a few hours before the visit. The event is conceived as an outreach tool. The main value is the explanation of methods and applications of satellite data, not access to the most sensitive operational infrastructures.
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