A veteran Chinese astronaut will this week lead two crew members on their first flight to the Tiangong space station, the latest milestone in the country's race to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. "I dreamed of flying higher, ever higher -- breaking through the atmosphere to experience the vastness of space," first-time astronaut Chen Zhongrui told reporters at a press conference a day ahead of the scheduled blast off. "I am about to realise my dream of flying to space." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES