Sorry, astronauts: You can't play 'Pokémon Go' in space

Pikachu in space.
Pikachu in space.
Image: Mashable composite; Wikimedia, Niantic

While the whole world seems to be totally obsessed with Pokémon Go, at least six people aren't going to have the chance to try out the augmented reality gaming sensation anytime soon. 

According to NASA, the six crew members living and working on the International Space Station won't be able to play the app-based smartphone game — which involves hunting the Earth for rare Pokémon by walking around outside — onboard the orbiting outpost.

"The smartphones and other mobile devices on station (tablets) do not have internet connectivity," NASA spokesman Dan Huot told Mashable via email. 

"They also only have access to apps specifically for the payloads they are intended for and do not have the ability to add apps like we do on the ground."

Astronauts and cosmonauts on the Space Station do have access to the Internet, but only through laptop computers, not mobile devices.

Sadly, we won't be seeing a sweet augmented reality selfie of Pikachu spacewalking above Earth anytime soon

Three poor souls actually left Earth just as Pokémon Go was becoming a sensation back on the planet. 

NASA's Kate Rubins, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi boarded the Space Station Saturday, just a few days after the game launched. 

Even if the Space Station residents had use of smartphones, there would still be another obstacle in their way. 

Pokémon GO makes use of a user's GPS signal to track where they are on a map within the game. Unfortunately for astronauts and cosmonauts, the Space Station doesn't use the same tracking systems we use on Earth. 

"And as far as location services, the astronauts use ISS internal GPS data and custom applications to determine their location and position," Huot said. "Location based services we use here on Earth are not utilized."

On Earth, users of the app can go around and fling PokéBalls to capture Pokémon around a city. 

Once a Pokémon is spotted and engaged in battle, the augmented reality really kicks in. By using the phone's camera, the app shows the user the creature basically embedded in real life.

Sadly, it seems we won't be seeing a sweet augmented reality selfie of Pikachu spacewalking above Earth anytime soon. However, Just because the Space Station's residents can’t take part in this craze doesn't mean that NASA is sitting it out. 

The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California apparently plays host to a gym in the app where Pokémon can battle it out.
