By: Eva Huang

This year, the infamous 1965 Barbie Astronaut and the newest Space Barbie will both be on display to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Barbie Doll Brand. The Space Barbie was based on a female European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti.

Samantha Cristoforetti is an Italian astronaut and a former air force pilot who was the first woman to command the International Space Station. The Barbie Brand designed the newest Barbie Astronaut to help encourage young girls to become future astronauts. Samantha said that the Astronaut Barbie was an “opportunity to reach out to girls and boys to share the experience of an astronaut as a potential path in life, as a potential future, as a potential career… or as an adventure that you can be part of.”

The Astronaut Barbie and Samantha have spent a lot of time together in space. In fact, the Barbie and Samantha spent six months in space orbiting the Earth in 2022. While they were in space, Samantha answered questions from girls from all over the world, including one where she was asked why she wanted to become an astronaut.

A woman named Ruth Handler first created Barbie in 1959. Ruth wanted dolls for her daughter to play with that could inspire her to follow her dreams. In celebration of the 65th anniversary, there will be an exhibition hosted in London’s Design Museum, which will tell the story of Barbie through decades. Many Barbies, including the Space Barbie, will be on display!