Inside the staggering backstories of the women who will be joining Lauren Sanchez and Gayle King in space

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Next week, Blue Origin will fly an all-female crew to the edge of space and back - with famous names Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez leading the charge.

However, the stars will be joined by three other women who boast very impressive accomplishments within their careers. 

Former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe will be along for the ride as well as civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

Lauren, who brought the mission together, expressed her excitement about the crew when the flight was announced.

'The incredible women that are going on this flight are extraordinary in all of their fields, but more importantly they are incredible storytellers,' the 55-year-old stated. 'So, what I'm hoping that this flight is transformative for them but also for all of the people they tell their story to. 

'Hopefully it sparks that imagination to dream big and reach for the stars.' 

The April 14 launch will mark the 11th NS-31 human flight for the New Shepard program and the crew chosen for the mission are nothing short of inspirational.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the inspiring backstories of the historic group embarking on the trip of a lifetime.

Blue Origin will fly an all-female crew to the edge of space  with famous names Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez joined by three other impressive women

Amanda Nguyễn, 33: Harvard graduate who helped create the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act

Amanda will become the first Vietnamese American woman ever to fly to space once the mission takes place, and that is just one of many firsts achieved by the 'civil rights astronaut.'

The bioastronautics research scientist has amassed an impression amount of accolades in her years - such as being a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Time Woman of the Year and Forbes 30 Under 30 - but her achievements were borne in part from a very traumatic life event.

Born and raised in California, Amanda graduated with a BA from Harvard University with her sights set on NASA or the CIA.

However, just months before her time at college was coming to an end in 2013, Amanda was raped.  

Amanda Nguyễn will become the first Vietnamese American woman ever to fly to space, and that is just one of many first achieved by the 'civil rights astronaut'

The young student opted for her rape kit to be filed under 'Jane Doe' because she didn't want the situation to have any impact on her future career aspirations.

However, she was shocked to learn her choice to stay anonymous gave her only six months to take action before the state destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible.

Amanda decided she could not surrender to a law that effectively denied her justice, and thus began her game-changing fight for the right of survivors everywhere. 

She founded her civil rights organization, Rise, which is a social change incubator for citizen lawmaking.

They drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights - which includes the right not to have your rape kit destroyed until the statute of limitations expired, and the right not to have to pay for it to be carried out.

President Obama signed the bill into law in 2016, which received historic, bipartisan support in Congress.

She founded her civil rights organization, Rise, and drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights. The bill became law in 2016, and then received historic, bipartisan support in Congress

After she testified in front of Congress alongside actress Evan Rachel Wood, the pair attended the 2019 Emmy Awards together

Rise is now the most efficient social movement in modern US history and achieved that record by training over 200 organizers to unanimously pass 29 laws that impact 80 million people. 

Amanda has been recognized by Foreign Policy as a Top 100 Leading Global Thinker and by Marie Claire as a Young Woman of the Year. 

After she testified in front of Congress alongside actress Evan Rachel Wood, the pair attended the 2019 Emmy Awards together.

That same year, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by California Representative Mimi Walters.

'Amanda has been a tireless advocate for survivors of sexual assault and is absolutely deserving of this prestigious recognition,' the Republican tweeted at the time while sharing the letter she wrote to Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Committee, and to the committee's other members. 

Amanda is also a Heinz Laureate, a Nelson Mandela Changemaker and before taking her place at the helm of Rise, Amanda was appointed by President Barack Obama to the United States Department of State as his deputy White House liaison.

She recently released memoir, Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope, which has received praise from the likes of Terry Crews, Melinda Gates and Paris Hilton. 

Kerianne Flynn, 57: Space lover who has helped to create powerful project highlight injustice and societal issues

Film producer Kerianne's upcoming trip to space has been a long-time coming after she signed up for a flight on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic back in 2011

She has worked as a producer on the powerful 2018 documentary, This Changes Everything, created in association with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

Kerianne launched her producing career with 2015 drama, The Automatic Hate.

Starring True Blood's Deborah Ann Woll and Big Little Lies actor Joseph Cross, it followed two strangers that discover they are cousins and work to figure out what kept their fathers apart.

She then worked as a producer on the powerful 2018 documentary, This Changes Everything, created in association with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

The critical acclaimed doc explored gender inequality in Hollywood and featured top Hollywood names including Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldana, Ellen Pompeo, Sharon Stone.

The critical acclaimed doc explored gender inequality in Hollywood and featured chats with Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep

It received 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and was named first runner-up for the Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award: Documentaries.

The project also won the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition at the Cleveland International Film Festival in April 2019 and This Changes Everything won a Philanthropy Women's Leadership Award in 2020.

Her most recent project focused on the real life story of fair pay activist Lilly Ledbetter.

Starring Patricia Clarkson, Lilly (2024) is an emotional drama about a courageous factory worker who fights for justice when cheated and mistreated by her company. 

The film was quietly backed by Meryl Streep, who turned down an offer to star in the lead role but offered to provide support to the producers as they got the film made.

Elsewhere, Kerianne's upcoming trip to space has been a long-time coming for the film producer.

The filmmaker has been ready to go to space since 2011, which is when she signed up for a flight on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

When Richard flew to space in 2021, she tweeted at the time: 'I think there's going to be nothing like going up there and looking back down on the Earth, which is what I think I'm most excited about. 

'Hopefully the next generations will be able to explore what's up there.'

Aisha Bowe, 38: Former NASA rocket scientist who has launched her own STEM business

Aisha chose a career in aerospace engineering because of an interest in science fiction, while one of her graduate professors inspired her to work for NASA

 Due to her low GPA, a school guidance counselor advised her to become a cosmetologist but Aisha decided to dream bigger

Aisha Bowe is living proof that you can achieve whatever you put your mind to, as highlighted by her impressive career.

Due to her low GPA, a school guidance counselor advised her to become a cosmetologist.

However, Aisha decided to dream big and used a mathematics class at community college to give her enough of a foundation to transfer to an engineering program at the University of Michigan.

She completed her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering in 2008, and master's degree in space systems engineering in 2009.

Aisha has since revealed that she chose a career in aerospace engineering because of an interest in science fiction, while one of her graduate professors inspired her to work for NASA.

At NASA, Aisha worked in the Ames Research Center, in the Flight Trajectory Dynamics and Controls Branch of the Aviation Systems Division.

She joined the AST Flight and Fluid Mechanics group in 2009, assisting in the development and of algorithms in support of Air Traffic Management. 

However, her work with the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program led to a love of mentoring and public speaking.

She mentored a 13-year-old girl who is now an aerospace engineer working for Blue Origin on one of the same rockets Aisha will take flight on

2013 saw her Bowe become the co-founder and CEO of STEMBoard, which secured a $1 billion government contract to provide professional advisory services in 2023

In an interview with ABC News, she revealed that she mentored a 13-year-old girl who is now an aerospace engineer working for Blue Origin on one of the same rockets Aisha will take flight on. 

Meanwhile, 2013 saw her Bowe become the co-founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a company that provides professional advisory services to organizations in the U.S Government.

Just ten years later, her company secured a $1 billion government contract to provide professional advisory services.

In 2022, she also founded LINGO, an education technology company which makes projects-based activities for kids. 

Aisha was recently named 2024 Woman of the Year by STEM FOR HER for her work contributions to the field of aerospace engineering and commitment to inspiring and mentoring young women in STEM. 

She also received the 2024 Luminary Award at Black Enterprise's Women of Power Summit as well as being named Essence Magazine's POWER 40.

Her participation in the New Shepard launch is expected to make her the sixth Black woman to cross the Kármán line - the internationally recognized boundary of space.

Elsewhere, Blue Origin recently revealed  the NS-31 mission patch and some of the key symbols embedded have particularly special meanings. 

The April 14 launch will mark the 11th NS-31 human flight for the New Shepard program 

The fireworks 'symbolize Katy's global influence across music, pop culture, and philanthropy,' a statement read.

Flynn the Fly, the main character in Lauren's bestselling children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, is along for the ride. The story is about overcoming adversity, inspiring kids with learning differences to pursue their dreams. 

The scales of justice symbolizes Amanda's efforts to advocate for civil rights, break barriers, and empower everyday people to create change.

The target star symbolizes Aisha's ambition for setting big goals, passion for STEM, and commitment to inspiring future generations. 

The shooting star microphone represents Gayle's commitment to sharing important stories with the world.

The film reel symbolizes Kerianne's passion for filmmaking, storytelling, and crafting beautiful narratives.

The NS-31 flight will lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas. The New Shepard launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT / 13:30 UTC.