By: Selena Lin

Barbie, a famous doll brand, has sent one of its dolls to space for the first time. Barbie has many different dolls with different outfits depending on the theme, such as a stereotypical Barbie with an all-pink outfit, a Cardi B Barbie, a Nicki Minaj Barbie, and much more. This type of Barbie is the Space Barbie, and according to BBC reporters, it is based on the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Europe’s first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Samantha Cristoforetti.

Mattel, a toy company, makes Barbie. According to Teen Vogue, the idea of Barbie came from Ruth Marianna Handler, who wanted her daughter Barbara to have action figures like her brother Ken. The doll was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara. The first Barbie doll debuted at the New York Toy Fair in March 1959. And thanks to a revolutionary TV ad, Barbie became a household name.

What happened during Barbie’s first trip to space with Samantha Cristoforetti? Cristoforetti is the first female commander of the International Space Station, also known as the ISS. On the mission, accompanied by her lookalike Barbie, Cristoforetti became the first European woman to complete a spacewalk.

The Samantha Cristoforetti doll will highlight Barbie’s long history with space travel, and according to BBC, Mattel will release a new doll based on Sally Ride, the first American woman to enter space. This doll will be the inspiration for girls who want to be space engineers and astronauts.

The Space Barbie spent six months orbiting Earth on the ISS and will be on public display at the Design Museum in London. This will be part of a new exhibition celebrating Barbie’s 65th anniversary.