The New American Girl Doll Wants to Be an Astronaut and NASA Is Making Sure She'll Get the Proper Training

The dolls in the American Girl line have traveled through the past and present, but Luciana Vega, their 2018 Girl of the Year, has her eyes on the future. With help from actual NASA experts, the company is getting Luciana ready to travel among the stars – and straight to Mars.

Photo Credit: Instagram, americangirlbrand

Her dreams (and accessories) were developed by astronaut Dr. Megan McArthur, former NASA chief scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan, NASA’s manager of strategic alliances Maureen O’Brien, and CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Dr. Deborah Barnhart. They helped make sure that Luciana is not only outfitted for a trip to Mars, but that her story and STEM foundation will actually prepare her for life as a planetary geologist on another planet.

Astronaut Megan McArthur
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

“I’m convinced that Luciana’s stories will convince girls to maybe think, I could work for NASA, I could become a scientist, I could become a planetary geologist some day,” says Dr. Ellen Stofan.

Photo Credit: Instagram, americangirlbrand

Luciana is of Chilean descent, and her love affair with space travel begins when she won a scholarship to attend space camp in Huntsville, AL. She sets her goal then to be the first person to travel to Mars, and her three book series follows her path through a STEM foundation that will allow her to do just that.