The world has been caught in Pokemon Go frenzy since the last few days, to a point where you may even see lesser selfies being shot these days. The joy of finding a Pikachu standing right outside your doorstep is unparalleled these days, and the only cooler thing in the world that can beat flaunting a massive arsenal of Pokemon is possibly a trip to the International Space Station.
Well, not quite. Earlier today, the International Space Station tweeted about the misfortune that has hit the astronauts and scientists residing high up in the ISS right now. Confirmation from NASA and the ISS states that even though the astronauts have smartphones and GPS-enabled devices, they do not have internet connectivity. These devices are only used for scientific research, and no Pokemon Go playing is happening on board the ISS.
This somewhat leads to a general sense of disappointment, with a lot of people being curious about the kind of Pokemon you would encounter in the vastness of space. The ISS orbits the Earth at about 27,360 kilometres per hour, a speed at which you could possibly have covered an incredible number of gyms in a single orbit. Alongside, the ISS happens to be a pretty busy and important place, and with the amount of security concerns that Pokemon Go has given rise to, it may not be prudent to go Pokemon-hunting in ISS. To lend perspective to the intensity of work being done up in the ISS, its latest resident, astronaut Kate Rubens, has been tasked with DNA sequencing. Under such environment, it is understandable why NASA would ideally not want the astronauts to spend time chasing a stray Gengar.
A Tumblr artist's impression of Pokemon in space
Of the six ISS residents right now, the first to arrive on Earth will be Commander Jeff Williams in September this year, along with two of his teammates. Presumably, we would have made considerable progress by then, hopefully with a couple of legendary Pokemon in the bag and a gym to boot. Nevertheless, the best anyone out in space can do is to start once they are back in solid ground.
No spotting Mewtwo or happy portraits with Pikachu from ISS, then.