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The packaging description for Mattel’s new Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th Anniversary Doll incorrectly states the original spacesuit-clad doll debuted in 1965, “before any human in space.” The first human spaceflight occurred in 1961. | Credit: Mattel / collectSPACE.com
Barbie’s Anniversary Doll Launches with Factual Hiccup
A new space-themed Barbie collectible has arrived, though perhaps not for the reasons toy manufacturer Mattel anticipated.
Celebrating 60 Years of Miss Astronaut Barbie
Mattel is commemorating the 60th anniversary of its inaugural spacesuit-clad fashion doll with the re-release of Barbie Miss Astronaut. Originally available in 1965 as a standalone outfit, the 2025 edition features a doll with period-accurate hair styling and “bold red lip,” posable legs for recreating “that iconic first step on the lunar surface,” and a replica silver spacesuit complete with a white helmet, gloves, brown moon boots, and an American flag.
Drawing inspiration from NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts’ attire, Barbie initially sported an astronaut suit two years after the first woman’s spaceflight and nearly two decades prior to a U.S. woman reaching space.
Mattel’s Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th Anniversary Doll replicates the Mercury-era spacesuit first issued for Barbie dolls in 1965. | Credit: Mattel
Packaging Error Sparks Historical Debate
The reissue’s packaging also honors the original design with a pink and white striped border. However, the solid orange background of the 1965 “Exclusive Fashions” set is replaced with a pastel illustration of a 1950s-style science fiction rocket beneath a ringed planet.
Related Reading: Yuri Gagarin: Facts about the first human in space
Mattel elucidates the doll’s relevance on the 2025 box, sixty years after its initial release.
“One small step for Barbie, one giant leap for dollkind!” declares the text on the Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th Anniversary Doll’s reverse side. The doll became available for $55 on the Mattel Creations website at midnight EDT (0500 GMT) on Friday, March 21, following a two-day pre-access period for Barbie Club 59 members.
“Lightyears ahead of her time — Miss Astronaut first went galactic in 1965, before any human in space,” the packaging further asserts.
Historical Inaccuracy Noted
This claim prompts a historical double-take. As Mattel has previously acknowledged, the Miss Astronaut outfit debuted after Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s groundbreaking Earth orbit in 1963. This milestone occurred two years after Yuri Gagarin’s historic first human spaceflight in 1961. (Alan Shepard became the first American in space a month after Gagarin in May 1961.)
The Mattel Creations website presents similar phrasing but rectifies the historical inaccuracy: “Light years ahead of her time, Barbie brought her pioneering spirit to space exploration in 1965, well before men had landed on the moon.”
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin marked humanity’s first lunar steps on July 20, 1969.
Mattel’s Response and Historical Context
It remains unclear whether Mattel identified the packaging error and subsequently modified the website text, or if these differing descriptions arose independently. It is also uncertain if the company intends to revise the box text. Mattel representatives were unavailable for immediate comment.
The 1965 “Exclusive Fashions by Mattel” Miss Astronaut set included the outfit alone: silver spacesuit, white helmet, brown gloves, moon boots with zipper, and an American flag. | Credit: Christie’s
Barbie’s Space Exploration Legacy
Further Reading:
- Barbie models doll after NASA ‘Hidden Figure’ Katherine Johnson
- This new Barbie doll launches real-life astronaut’s face into a toy world
- Facts about Apollo 11, the 1st mission to put people on the moon
This marks a repeated reissue of the 1965 Miss Astronaut by Mattel. A similar doll was offered in the 2010 “My Favorite Career” series.
Over the past 60 years since Miss Astronaut’s debut, Mattel has introduced numerous astronaut-themed Barbie outfits, including a vibrant pink and silver spacesuit “with sparkly skirt and tights” in 1985 and an Apollo 11-inspired suit in 1994, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the moon landing.
In 2022, two Barbie dolls in ensembles resembling Russia’s Sokol pressure suits journeyed to the International Space Station as part of “Mission DreamStar,” an outreach initiative designed to inspire girls towards careers in aerospace and STEM fields.
These space-flown dolls now join terrestrial astronaut Barbie iterations in the Smithsonian collection, displayed at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia.
Mattel has also paid tribute to actual astronauts with Barbie dolls modeled after them. The brand’s Inspiring Women series includes dolls representing Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, and Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
Collector’s Item Potential?
Whether the factual discrepancy on the Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th Anniversary Doll box elevates its desirability among collectors remains to be seen. However, as the 2010 reissue box stated, a sentiment that still resonates, “Today, the original Miss Astronaut Barbie fashion is highly-coveted and hard to find. But it’s back — for you, to share with the next generation, to love forever!”
Originally reported by collectSPACE.com. Copyright 2025 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.