Chennai: ISRO Chairman K Sivan said the launch of the GSLV Mark III will happen as per schedule if cyclone Gaja does not change its course.

Addressing mediapersons at Tirupathi today, Sivan said the launch might be rescheduled if the cyclone is headed towards the launch site.

The cyclone is expected to be at 400 km at the time of the launch. ISRO will launch the modern communication satellite GSAT-29 onboard the rocket GSLV Mark III. The ISRO has said the flight would take place from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota at 5 pm tomorrow. This would be the second development flight of the heavier launch vehicle GSLV Mark-III.

It has the capacity to lift satellites of about four-tons into a geostationary transfer orbit. The payload for tomorrow’s mission, the GSAT-29, is a high throughput version of the communication satellite. It has a lift off mass of 3,423 kilograms and an operational life of more than 10 years.

It has Ku and Ka spot beams for augmenting hi-speed data connectivity in remote and far flung areas. It will also serve as a test-bed for several new technologies in providing latest communication technologies.