Popular grading company Beckett has sent a Pokemon card into space in partnership with TCG accessory company Dragon Shield, weathering extreme temperatures and fierce winds. The trading card game branch of the massively popular monster-catching franchise has grown into one of the most popular hobbies in the world, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The Pokemon TCG has seen a particular resurgence throughout 2025, bolstered by some of the game's most popular sets like "Prismatic Evolutions" and "Mega Evolution." Now, one Pokemon card has made the ultimate voyage into orbit.
With the rise of popularity and increasing prices in the hobby, many fans have chosen to "grade" their Pokemon cards as a way or determining their quality and value. Grading cards involves some of the most rigorous assessment a trading card can experience, with trained professionals inspecting everything from wear on the corners to errors in production. Particular brands like Beckett and PSA have even established themselves among the Pokemon community as some of the most trusted sources for grading cards. One grading company is now putting its strict standards to the test.
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Pokemon Card Sent into Space
Popular card grading company Beckett teamed up with accessory manufacturer Dragon Shield to send a Pokemon trading card into space. The pair partnered with space exploration firm Sent Into Space to arrange for a "Pristine" graded Pokemon card to be sent into Earth's atmosphere in order to test the protection of Dragon Shield's sleeves. The card was attached to a custom rig mounted on a spacecraft, while it was protected within a standard top-loader and "triple-sleeved" using the manufacturer's sleeves. Beckett even re-graded the card after it returned from its space flight, confirming that the Pokemon card would still receive perfect marks.
The incredible story of a Pokemon card's trip to outer space is a testament not only to the sleeves, but to the overwhelming popularity of Pokemon. Pokemon has grown into one of the biggest multimedia franchises in the world, with the series seeing significant success across its multiple branches. Pokemon's video games continue to be some of the hottest new releases in the gaming industry, with Pokemon Legends Z-A selling nearly 6 million copies in just its first week.
The future of the Pokemon franchise looks as bright as ever with plenty of exciting developments across its major branches. Pokemon Legends: Z-A recently gave fans more information about the game's upcoming "Mega Dimension" DLC, currently slated to launch in early December. The Pokemon TCG is also gearing up for the release of a new set, with "Phantasmal Flames" bringing Mega Charizard back to the trading card game. One Pokemon card's unlikely voyage to space serves as another notch in the long-lasting legacy of one of gaming's most recognizable franchises.
- Franchise
- Pokemon
- Original Release Date
- October 20, 1996