Mattel, NASA, Mars=Mars Explorer Barbie

"She's a Barbie girl in an INTERGALACTIC world: Nasa teams up with Mattel to turn the red planet pink with a Mars Explorer doll"

Mars Explorer Barbie comes with a spacesuit, helmet and oxygen tank
It has been launched to celebrate the Mars Curiosity rover's first birthday
Barbie has had more than 130 jobs in her illustrious 54-year career

by

Victoria Woollaston

August 6th, 2013
 
Mail Online

Barbie has had a number of weird and wonderful jobs her in illustrious 54-year career - from being a Canadian Mountie to a paleontologist -  but her latest mission is out of this world.

Toy maker Mattel, which sells the Barbie doll, has teamed up with Nasa to turn the red planet pink with the launch of its Mars Explorer Barbie

The astronaut version of the iconic doll comes with a spacesuit, helmet and oxygen tank and was launched to celebrate the Curiosity rover's first birthday on the red planet on 5 August.

Mars Explorer Barbie comes with a white spacesuit and a detachable pink helmet.

The doll is also packaged with a cardboard cutout of the six-wheeled Mars Science Laboratory, also in pink.

Mattel told Space.com: 'Ready to add her signature pink splash to the Red Planet, the Barbie doll is outfitted in a stylish spacesuit with pink reflective accents, helmet, space pack and signature pink space boots.

'Adding to her resume of more than 130 careers, Mars Explorer Barbie doll inspires girls to be adventurous and to always reach for the stars!' added Mattel in a statement.

The box that the Mars Explorer Barbie comes in also features facts about the history of U.S female astronauts and space engineers and has been designed to promote Nasa's Women@Nasa site.

It is not the first time that Barbie has been an astronaut.

In 1965 Mattel launched Barbie Miss Astronaut to celebrate Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first women in space.

Barbie Miss Astronaut came with a silver spacesuit, brown boots and a white helmet with the American flag printed on the side. There was also a matching Ken astronaut doll.

The Barbie Miss Astronaut doll was re-released to celebrate Barbie's 50th anniversary in 2009 as part of the Barbie Classic Careers series alongside Student Teacher Barbie, Nurse Barbie and PAN AM Air Stewardess Barbie.

In 1985 Mattel released Astronaut Barbie with a pink and silver spacesuit.

In 1994, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the moon landing, a Special Edition Career Collection doll was released to coincide with Space Week.

It was sold with glow-in-the-dark moon rocks printed with Nasa's Apollo 11 emblem.

There was also a Space Camp Barbie sold in 1998 with a blue flight suit similar to the ones worn by Nasa astronauts. It was packaged with a Nasa cap, space food and a Space Camp certificate.

Barbie has also previously been an architect, in 2011, as well as a computer engineer in 2010, a paleontologist in 1997 and a Sea World trainer in 2009.

In 2000 Barbie was the United States President and has stood for re-election in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

The Barbie Mars Explorer edition went on sale on Monday for $12.99 (£8.45) but is only available in the U.S.

BARBIE'S SPACE HISTORY

In 1965 Mattel launched Barbie Miss Astronaut to coincide with Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first women in space.

Barbie Miss Astronaut came with a silver spacesuit, brown boots and a white helmet with the Amercian flag printed on the side.

The Barbie Miss Astronaut doll was re-released to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2009.

In 1985 Mattel release Astronaut Barbie with a pink and silver spacesuit.

In 1994, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the moon landing a Special Edition Career Collection doll was released, in time for Space Week, that was sold with glow-in-the-dark moon rocks printed with Nasa's Apollo 11 emblem.

There was also a Space Camp Barbie sold in 1998 with an blue flight suit similar to the ones worn by Nasa astronauts.