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Cristoforetti recently took time to describe some of the
experiments conducted aboard the ISS, as well as answer
questions from five girls 8 to 11 years old from across Europe.
She and her spacesuit-clad Barbie floated in zero gravity, as
she spoke.
Asked why she became an astronaut, the 45-year-old said,
"Growing up I was fascinated by the night sky, and the idea of
flying to space, and the sense of adventure and exploration.
"And then I became interested in science and technology; and
then I really loved flying, I became a pilot. And being an
astronaut kind of brings all those passions and interests of me
together," she said.
The video conversation, excerpts of which were released on
Monday, was part of a project aimed at inspiring young girls to
start careers in STEM: science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. It also marks World Space Week, which begins on
Tuesday
The initiative was organized by Inspiring Girls International, a
charity which connects girls to international role models.
Mattel Inc MAT.O> designed a Cristoforetti lookalike Barbie doll
in 2019 and put it on sale in 2021. The company donated some of
the profits to the charity Women in Aerospace Europe.
The first Barbie wearing an astronaut suit was released in 1965
and was garbed in the outfits worn by astronauts in the 1960s
Mercury program, which put the first American men into orbit and
paved the way for future space missions.
(Reporting by Chiara Rodriguez; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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