An unlikely duo has come together to make a toy that’s out of this world. Mattel and NASA have launched a Mars Explorer Barbie.
The doll's been released to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Curiosity rover on Mars.
Barbie is outfitted and ready to take on Mars — and add a splash of pink to the Red Planet. This astronaut Barbie comes with a pink and white space suit, a pink helmet and a — you guessed it — pink oxygen tank.
"Barbie consulted with the NASA EVA [extravehicular activity] Suit Team on the design of the doll, to ensure the Mars Explorer Barbie doll captured the spirit and style of space explorers," a Mattel spokesperson tells SPACE.com.
Mars Barbie comes with a six-wheeled science laboratory. The box also promotes NASA’s Women@NASA site. It features facts about the history of female astronauts and space engineers.
Barbie — who's had more than 130 careers in her lifetime — has been to space before. In 1965, two years after Valentina Tereshkova became the first women in space, "Barbie Miss Astronaut" was released. This Barbie astronaut had a matching Ken Mr. Astronaut. Their clothing was inspired by the pressure suits worn by the all-male U.S. Mercury astronauts.
In 1985, an "Astronaut Barbie" with sparkly pink and silver mini skirt space suit was released. "Star Trek Barbie and Ken" were released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek in 1996.
A Mars Barbie was almost inevitable.
In 1965 Mattel launched "Barbie Miss Astronaut" was the first Barbie to have a career as an astronaut.
Shoppers will line up at Katy Mills Mall as Primark opens its first Houston area store on November 20.Photo courtesy of Primark/Instagram 