— As the first Hispanic woman to fly into space, Ellen Ochoa has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Now, she is joining an even more elite group of honorees: space travelers with their own Barbie doll.

Mattel on Monday (Sept. 15) revealed the "Barbie Inspiring Women Ellen Ochoa" set modeled after the former NASA astronaut. It is only the fifth time that the iconic fashion doll has honored a real-life space explorer and only the third such doll to be offered for sale to the public.

"Before I became the first Hispanic woman in space, my journey in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics[ was fueled by a deep curiosity and a desire to explore the unknown That's why being honored by Barbie — a brand that inspires imagination and possibility — means so much to me," said Ochoa in a statement issued by Mattel.

"It's important to me to empower young people to bring their curiosity and personal viewpoint into whatever dreams they choose to pursue — just as I've aimed to do throughout my career. This partnership with Barbie feels like an exciting next step in that mission," said Ochoa.

The new Barbie is styled after Ochoa's appearance at the time of her first of four spaceflights in 1993, when she launched on the space shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist on the STS-56 crew. The doll is dressed in a simplified version of the bright orange advanced crew escape system (ACES) pressure suit that Ochoa wore on that flight (as evident by the mission patch), complete with gloves, boots and a helmet.

Ochoa collaborated with the Barbie design team to mimic her look, including her shoulder-length brown hair, which was longer and curlier back then as compared to her style today.

Ochoa's first and second (STS-66 in 1994) space missions were dedicated to atmospheric science. Her third and fourth launches (STS-96 in 1999 and STS-110 in 2002) were to the International Space Station, delivering supplies and installing the first segment of the orbital complex's backbone truss.

As noted on the doll's packaging, Ochoa followed up her nearly 42 days in space by becoming the second woman and first Latina to be the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in 2013. She retired five years later, concluding a 30-year career with the space agency.

"Barbie is honored to introduce Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and advocate for STEM education, as the latest addition to the Inspiring Women series," said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls at Mattel. "As a NASA trailblazer and advocate for women to pursue careers in STEM, we're truly over the moon to amplify her story."

"Together, we hope this Inspiring Women doll reminds the next generation that with courage, passion and determination, they can be anything they want because Ellen proves that even the sky isn't the limit," said Berger.

Previous Inspiring Women dolls have honored Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti; Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Katya "Kat" Echazarreta, who became the first Mexican-born woman to fly into space on a 2022 Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital launch. Barbie also similarly honored Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician who life story was part of the basis for the 2017 movie "Hidden Figures."

Timed to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the Barbie Signature Inspiring Women Ellen Ochoa doll is available for pre-order from Mattel Creations for $38. It is also available from Amazon, Target and Walmart.