China will send its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, its Manned Space Agency announced, as Beijing pushes ahead with its extra-terrestrial ambitions. "I've always had this dream that one day, I will be able to launch my beloved scientific research work into space," says Gui Haichao, Chinese astronaut and professor at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at a pre-launch press briefing. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES