To celebrate World Space Week from October 4 to 10, which celebrates women in space this year, Mattell, Inc. has partnered with the European Space Agency and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti to create a Barbie doll edition of the latter.
According to a Reuters report, the Cristoforetti's doll version is now jetting off on a zero-gravity flight, with the objective of inspiring young female individuals to consider a career that has something to do with space and science, technology, maths, and engineering or STEM.
At present, the Italian female astronaut is training for her next space mission to the International Space Station in April next year.
As part of the project, the lookalike Barbie doll of Cristoforetti mirrored the preparation an astronaut should do before reaching space by traveling from an ESA base in Germany and floating on a zero-gravity flight.
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Experienced in Weightlessness
In a video statement, 44-year-old Cristoforetti said the mini Samantha doll "has been in a parabolic flight," and thus, she's no longer new to weightlessness.
The Italian astronaut added, she's hoping that by showing that some excitement can be created for particularly young girls, probably, those images will ignite a sparkle o passion in the heart of some girls that "and that would be incredible."
As part of this initiative, Barbie is sharing on its website important educational resources on space. More so, proceeds from this new Samantha Cristoforetti Barbie dolls, formerly a one-of-a-kind toy, will be donated to an organization called Women in Aerospace towards Ph.D. student support.
Samantha Cristoforetti
Born in Milan, Italy, in 1977, Samantha Cristoforetti is described on the European Space Agency website as a reading enthusiast who has a passion for science and technology and an equal interest in humanities.
She also loves learning foreign languages, and her most recent challenge is Chinese. She occasionally finds time to engage in other activities like practicing yoga, hiking, and scuba diving.
Cristoforetti finished her secondary education at the Liceo Scientifico in 1996 in Italy, after she spent one year in the United States as an exchange student.
In the early 200s, she graduated from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, completing a master's degree in mechanical engineering with specializations in aerospace propulsion and lightweight structures.
The Astronaut's Doll Version
A Mail Online report said, when Mattel initially produced the Cristoforetti Barbie doll, it was described as a "one-of-a-kind toy," as earlier mentioned, but because of the demand, the doll is now available throughout Europe.
Cristoforetti said, perhaps the fun images of her doll floating in weightlessness will spark the imagination of children and lead them to consider a STEM career.
A 2019 research, which Barbie also shared, showed that girls are saying they are at least confident in their mathematical skills while at school, even at a young age. Meaning they are missing out on possibly fulfilling and highly paid careers in the space industry.
Specifically, according to research, many girls are developing self-limiting beliefs at age five and start thinking they are not as intelligent and capable as boys. Many of them have stopped believing, too, that their gender can do or be anything.
Related report about the Cristoforetti Barbie doll is shown on Amaze Lab's YouTube video below:
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