![]() ![]() The 1990s was the first time in Barbie history that two space-themed dolls were released within the same decade. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go to space, flew on STS-47 seven years later. By the mid-1980s, the idea of a woman in space (plastic or human) was nothing new, but this was the first time that a Black Barbie doll became an astronaut. Much like Miss Astronaut, 1985’s Astronaut Barbie was revolutionary in her own ways. The box read: “Pretty pilot changes into glamorous date!” Flight Time Barbie debuted in 1989 wearing a bright pink uniform, but she also came with a rainbow-patterned tutu and neck scarf. The first iteration of Barbie as a pilot also employed this day-to-evening costume design. By night, she let her hair down (literally and metaphorically) and donned a sparkly pink evening gown. By day, this doll wore a pink blazer and pencil skirt and carried a pink briefcase. Mattel’s 1985 Day-to-Night Barbie was based around that exact concept. The idea of a Barbie doll with two outfits – one for work and one for after work – was not unique to this doll. This 1985 Astronaut Barbie is in the Museum’s collection. As seen in the doll’s commercial, the fantastical hot pink and silver lamé outfit works for all occasions, whether you be landing on the Moon or getting down at the space disco. 1980s Astronaut Barbie comes complete with a costume change, and the doll in our collection is displayed wearing her second outfit - a shiny peplum miniskirt worn over silver leggings and knee-high pink boots. In true '80s fashion, her hair is too big to fit fully inside her helmet. This version of Astronaut Barbie explores the Moon in a shiny, hot pink spacesuit. Unsurprisingly, this doll’s fashion choices were heavily influenced by the culture and trends of the 1980s. 1980sĮarth-bound throughout the 1970s, Barbie once again donned a spacesuit in 1985 - this time with flair. As such, she served the important purpose of showing young girls that they too could dream of spaceflight before there were women astronauts at NASA to be such role models. Released 13 years before NASA accepted its first female astronauts and 18 years before the first American woman would go to space, the Miss Astronaut outfitted doll was ahead of her time. This Barbie doll dressed in the Miss Astronaut outfit (1965) is in the Museum’s collection. ![]() Her boots were brown, practical, and shockingly un-heeled. The Miss Astronaut set included a silvery spacesuit much like those worn by the Mercury and Gemini astronauts of her time. At the time, Barbie dolls were sold separately from additional sets of clothes, with the idea that the doll would be repeatedly changed into new outfits. 1960sīarbie’s career as a Barbieland astronaut began in 1965 with the release of the Miss Astronaut outfit. In honor of these two new and very special additions to our collection, we are documenting Barbie’s long career as one of our nation’s foremost space explorers. In 2022, these dolls were sent to the International Space Station as a part of Mission DreamStar, a collaboration between Mattel and NASA that aims to encourage young girls to pursue careers as astronauts and space scientists. However, unlike the other space-themed Barbie dolls in the collection, these two have actually been to space - aboard more than just a pink rocket in Barbieland. Recently, that collection has grown with two new astronaut Barbie dolls now on display alongside their predecessors. Several other iterations of Astronaut Barbie have been released since then, some of which are in the Museum’s collection. The first astronaut outfit designed for Barbie was released in 1965, meaning she explored space before Neil Armstrong visited the Moon. One of her oldest and arguably most iconic careers is as an astronaut. And if you are imagining possible careers, why not think big? After all, the intention behind Barbie was that she would allow girls to imagine themselves as young adults. Known for her endless list of careers, Barbie has decades of experience in business, medicine, modeling, and just about any other industry you can imagine. ![]() There is perhaps no résumé in existence quite as long as Barbie’s. ![]()
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