Barbies in space: doll that orbited the earth, Miss Scientist Barbie and more go on show

A Barbie spent half a year orbiting the Earth. This doll and others are going on display as London’s Design Museum marks 65 years of Barbie

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A doll in the likeness of astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will be on display in London’s Design Museum to mark Barbie’s 65th anniversary. Photo: Mattel

Published: 4:15am, 2 Jul 2024Updated: 6:17pm, 2 Jul 2024

A Barbie that has been into space will go on display for the first time as part of an exhibition at London’s Design Museum to mark the 65th anniversary of the world-famous doll brand.

The doll is a likeness of Samantha Cristoforetti, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Europe’s first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS). It spent six months orbiting the Earth on the ISS with her in 2022.

“I think it’s a great achievement for the overall team to have this Barbie on display and to have it connect to many more people through this exhibition,” said Cristoforetti, 47, a former Italian air force fighter pilot.

In April 2022, Cristoforetti returned to the ISS for her second mission, Minerva, during which she carried out her first spacewalk, becoming the first European woman to do so, according to the ESA.

Samantha Cristoforetti with her Barbie doll on the International Space Station. Photo: European Space Agency

During her time in orbit, she answered questions from young girls, including why she wanted to become an astronaut. Video footage of the conversations will be shown alongside the doll.