Barbie has come a long, long way since she used to complain that math class was hard.
She is now an astronomer on her career list. She just took one small step for dollkind. Two Barbies blasted off on a spaceship from Wallops Island, Virginia. Barbie has traveled to outer space in the past, but this is the first time that it has actually happened.
It may come as a surprise to those who know that Barbie has had anastronaut on her since 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Miss Astronaut beat NASA in the representation-in-space race, giving girls an early role model in aviation and aeronautics.
Barbie did more than just look the part.
The idea of sending Barbie to the International Space Station has been thrown around for a while, according to Lisa McKnight, the head of the Barbie brand.
Barbie has been an astronaut since 1965 — four years before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Credit: Photo by Keystone-FranceGamma-Rapho via Getty Images
The company has a new line of Barbie products called the Space Discovery line at Target.
The dolls were taken out of the cargo ship shortly after it docked at the station. The astronauts took photos and videos of two Barbies, one black and one white, at various facilities. Barbie is using the digital media to promote her career in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Barbies are seen in the microgravity environment, free-floating in Russian Sokol-like spacesuits, the windowed cupola, framing Earth and the stars behind them.
This is not the first time a Barbie has experienced zero-gravity. A special edition Barbie was sculpted to look like a European Space Agency Astronaut. The toymaker put the doll into mass production after initially not making it for the general public. A portion of the sales goes to a Women in Aerospace Europe fund.
The space station is expected to be returned to it's former state by the end of the day.
She said in a statement that she was happy that Barbie dolls reflect not only the body shape of real women, but also the full range of their professional achievements.
Partial proceeds from the Samantha Cristoforetti Barbie sales go to a Women in Aerospace Europe fund. Credit: European Space Agency
The new Barbie vlog features two NASA astronauts, who give a tour of the space station's veggie garden, -80 degree freezer, and robot nicknamed Astrobee.
A Barbie voice actor says to close your eyes and imagine you are in space. Is it possible to have objects floating and moving quietly past you?
Barbie's ride was considerably cheaper than the $55 million that space tourists are known to pay. A spokesman for the International Space Station National Laboratory said that no charges were made for the flight, photo shoot, and crew time.
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There are ideas for space-themed digital programming for K-12 students that were solicited by Mattel. The toy company did not request grants for the opportunity. The lab has a mission to inspire the next generation of researchers and explorers.
He wrote in an email that launch and crew costs are assumed by the American taxpayer.
Barbie has not conducted any experiments or become a space station mascot since she arrived. We asked. The dolls will return to Earth later this summer, according to NASA.
Look, no strings! The Barbies float in the International Space Station's unique microgravity environment. Credit: Mattel
When they return, they will go on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia, where her predecessor, Miss Astronaut, has lived since 1995.
Barbie has a unique relationship with space. She has traveled to many places around the world and wore a lot of hats, but space is a theme the doll keeps revisiting. The vision of Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator, who wanted the doll to reflect culture and womanhood at a time when most other doll options on store shelves related to babies and cooking, is credited with that.
People were fascinated with space travel as it was a huge part of the cultural conversation throughout the 50s and 60s.
Over five-plus decades, Barbie has had a unique relationship with space. Credit: Mattel
"Barbie was there to inspire girls that they can be anything as early as the 60s, during a time when it was uncommon for girls to pursue a career in STEM."
The company has sold about 10 examples of space-related Barbies over the years. A quick eBay and Amazon search will show you more, like Barbie Space Camp, NASA Crew Barbie, and 25th anniversary Astronaut Barbie.
The depiction of the famous NASA human computer created shortly after the movie Hidden Figures told her story is one example of a product designed to deliver realism. Sally Ride, the first US woman in space, died of cancer in 2012 and her likeness was not duplicated. The company consulted with NASA and Ride to outfit the doll in a Challenger-inspired flight suit.
Barbie's looks have been less than flight ready. A space-themed Barbie from 1985 was fashioned with a metallic fuchsia bodysuit and puffed sleeves to match Princess Di's wedding dress.
Some of Barbie's outer space ensembles have been less than spaceflight-ready. Credit: Photo by Christoph Schmidt/picture alliance via Getty Images
The 1986 Barbie Astronaut was more of a fantasy than a real person.
The Barbie brand is trying to stay ahead of the competition. Mars Explorer Barbie beat all nations on a quest to the Red Planet. NASA will get there in the late 20th century.
It is one thing for her to dress for a job. Can we expect her to go somewhere?
Barbie's career path in space exploration continues to grow out of this world.
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