NASA helps create new American Girl doll
Aspiring astronaut character developed with space experts
American Girl’s new doll is out of this world — or at least she wants to be.
Luciana Vega is an 11-year-old aspiring astronaut with dreams of being the first person on Mars. She’s the Wisconsin-based doll maker’s 2018 Girl of the Year.
Luciana is “a champion of (science, technology, engineering and math) and a natural-born leader who puts her whole heart into making her dreams a reality,” Katy Dickson, president of American Girl, said in a news release.
The company worked with NASA and Johnson Space Center to develop Luciana’s story, which starts with her winning a scholarship to Space Camp in Alabama. Her story is chronicled in a threebook series also available for purchase.
Luciana — decked out in a space suit and helmet — was unveiled Thursday on “Good Morning America.” It is the company’s 16th Girl of the Year and will be available for purchase Jan. 1.
“Luciana is a role model for today’s girls — empowering them to defy stereotypes and embrace risks that will teach them about failure and success as they chart their own course in life — whatever the goal,” Dickson said.
To ensure accuracy, doll creators traveled to Johnson Space Center in Houston to “gain insight into a day in the life of a Space Camp trainee,” the company said.
The creators learned how to eat in space, how to function in microgravity and even put on a space suit, the release adds.
American Girl also worked with a four-member Advisory Board that included Ellen Stofan, former NASA chief scientist; Deborah Barnhart, CEO and executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center; Megan McArthur Behnken, a NASA astronaut; and Maureen O’Brien, manager of strategic alliances at NASA.
“American Girl’s partnership with NASA was developed through the Space Act Agreement to inform and inspire the wider public (and especially young girls) about the excitement of space and STEM careers,” the company said.
Also in partnership with Scholastic, NASA and Space Camp, American Girl has funded several educational activities to help young students learn about space and STEM fields. They include: • Blast Off Discovery: A program built for third through fifthgraders that includes STEM-based lesson plans and classroom activities. It will be available at www.scholastic.com starting Jan. 31.
• Mission to Mars Sweepstakes: Families who participate in weekly missions can win numerous prizes, including a trip to Space Camp.
• Space Camp scholarships: American Girl is sponsoring 20 scholarships.
Information about these and other educational opportunities can be found at americangirl.com/meetluciana.