She may be a doll, but Barbie is showing young girls that the possibility of pursuing a career in space when they grow up is real. Barbie’s mission to inspire girls reached new heights when two Barbie dolls traveled to the International Space Station (ISS)—and now you can watch a video of the dolls’ experience on the orbiting laboratory.
The video was filmed onboard the space station through an ISS National Laboratory-sponsored project from Mattel. A key part of the ISS National Lab’s mission is to engage the next generation of explorers and advance science literacy in the future workforce through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education initiatives.
The two Barbie dolls that made the trip to the ISS were inspired by real-life astronauts and cosmonauts and are floating on the space station as part of “Mission DreamStar,” an educational outreach project by Mattel that introduces young girls to careers in STEM fields. The spacefaring dolls are featured in a new episode of Mattel’s “You Can Be Anything” YouTube series, alongside NASA astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari.
Media Credit: Image courtesy of Mattel
In the episode, the two Barbie dolls are shown inside the Cupola—the most prominent window on the ISS, with its 360-degree view of Earth—and other areas of the ISS. Barron is filmed discussing some of the research and technology development taking place onboard the ISS, including investigations to grow plants in space and experiments using a free-floating robot called Astrobee. Chari also highlights his favorite parts of living and working onboard the ISS. During the episode, an animated Barbie says, “Aren’t they so inspiring? It’s great to hear how people are following their dreams. It reminds us that you can be anything!”
Watch the “Mission DreamStar – Let’s Go To SPACE!” episode on the Barbie YouTube channel. Learn more about ISS National Lab education initiatives and Space Station Explorers partner programs at www.issnationallab.org/stem.
