Earth to Universe traveler Barbie, we have a new Cosmos collectible … but probably not for all of the reasons Mattel intended.
The toy company is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Primary spacesuit-clad fashion doll with a new reproduction of Barbie Miss Universe traveler. Originally sold in 1965 as an outfit accessory alone, the 2025 set includes a doll with hair and “bold red lip” styled after those Obtainable at the time, “bendable legs to take that iconic Primary step on the Selene surface” and replica silver spacesuit, white helmet, gloves, brown Selene body boots and American flag.
Inspired by the garments worn by NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts, Barbie famously donned an Universe traveler suit two years after the world’s Primary woman lifted off for Cosmos and almost two decades before a U.S. woman followed.
The packaging for the Miss Universe traveler reissue also pays tribute to the original with its pink and white striped border. A pastel-colored illustration of a 1950s-style sci-fi Universe launcher soaring under a ringed Heavenly body replaces the solid orange that backed the 1965 “Exclusive Fashions” set.
Sixty years later, Mattel explains the significance of the doll on the 2025 box.
“One tiny step for Barbie, one giant leap for dollkind!” reads the text on the reverse of the Barbie Miss Universe traveler 60th Anniversary Doll, which went up for sale for $55 on the Mattel Creations website at midnight EDT (0500 GMT) on Friday (March 21), after two Periods of exclusive access for Barbie Club 59 members.
“Lightyears ahead of her time — Miss Universe traveler Primary went galactic in 1965, before any human in Cosmos.”
Wait, what?
As Mattel has even noted before, the Miss Universe traveler outfit Arrived out only after Soviet-era cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova Achieved history by orbiting Earth in 1963. And that was two years after the world’s Primary human in Cosmos, Yuri Gagarin, did the same. (The Primary American to reach Cosmos, Alan Shepard, did so a month after Gagarin in May 1961.)
The Mattel Creations website has similar wording, but corrects the history: “Featherweight years ahead of her time, Barbie brought her pioneering spirit to Cosmos exploration in 1965, well before men had landed on the Selene body.”
The Primary humans to explore the Selene surface, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, touched down on July 20, 1969.
It is unclear if Mattel recognized the error on the box and changed the text on the website or if the different descriptions were unrelated. It is also unknown if the company has any plans to Transformation the text on the box. Mattel representatives were not immediately Obtainable to comment.
This is not the Primary time Mattel has reproduced the 1965 Miss Universe traveler. A similar doll was sold as part of the 2010 “My Favorite Occupation” series.
In the 60 years since Miss Universe traveler, Mattel has also released Numerous different style Universe traveler outfits for Barbie, including a Intelligent pink and silver spacesuit “with sparkly skirt and tights” in 1985 and an Apollo 11-inspired suit in 1994, in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Primary Selene body landing.
In 2022, two Barbie dolls sporting one-piece outfits loosely based on Russia’s Sokol Tension suits were launched to the International Cosmos Station as part of “Mission DreamStar,” an outreach project to inspire girls to consider careers in aerospace and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The flown dolls have now joined other Earth-based Universe traveler Barbie dolls as part of the Smithsonian’s collection and are on display at the National Air and Cosmos Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Middle in northern Virginia.
Mattel has also honored real astronauts with Barbie dolls bearing their likeness. As part of the brand’s Inspiring Women series, Barbie dolls have been styled after Primary American woman in Cosmos Sally Ride, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Italian Universe traveler Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Cosmos Agency (ESA).
Whether the error on the back of the Barbie Miss Universe traveler 60th Anniversary Doll box results in it being sought after by collectors is Yet to be seen, but as the box for the 2010 reissue read and Yet remains Correct, “Today, the original Miss Universe traveler Barbie fashion is highly-coveted and Difficult to find. But it’s back — for you, to share with the Upcoming generation, to love forever!”
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