Barbie first became an astronaut in 1965, when Mattel released Miss Astronaut Barbie. The career doll imagined Barbie participating in space exploration during the height of the Space Race, years before women were accepted into NASA’s astronaut corps.
Miss Astronaut Barbie wore a silvery space suit, brown boots, and a helmet. Her release showed how Barbie’s career line was designed to present professional possibilities to children, rather than confining the doll to a single identity. Space-themed Barbie dolls have appeared repeatedly since then, reflecting changing ideas about science, technology, and women’s roles.
This milestone is often confused with Barbie dolls based on real astronauts. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, flew in 1983 and later received an Inspiring Women Barbie. The 1965 doll was not a portrait of a real astronaut; it was a fictional career version released during the era’s fascination with lunar exploration.