NEW DELHI, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- India is set to launch a new communications satellite on Sunday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Friday.

The countdown for the launch of a rocket carrying INSAT-4CR from Sriharikota, about 100 km from the southern city of Chennai, was slated to begin Friday, the PTI said quoting official sources.

The 49-meter rocket will be launched at 4.21 p.m. local time from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, the sources inthe India Space Research Organization (ISRO) said.

ISRO scientists say they are extra careful this time to ensure that the vehicle does not meet the same fate of its predecessor, the GSLV-F02, in July 2006, when it had strayed away from its path, forcing them to destroy it, 56 seconds after takeoff, according to the PTI.