SRIHARIKOTA - Indian Space Research Organization's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C17 (PSLV) carrying a new communication satellite was successfully launched on Friday from Sriharikota, south India, said ISRO officials.

An extra large PSLV rocket, known as PSLV-XL, was used to launch the GSAT-12 communication satellite into space.

GSAT-12 will link doctors and teachers from the cities with rural India and can help in a medical diagnosis over a satellite link.

ISRO is currently battling a severe shortage in communication satellites, which are also used to provide telecom and television services across the country.

GSAT-12 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota following a 53-hour countdown. GSAT-12, weighing 1,410 kg and equipped with 12 Extended-C band transponders, will augment communication capabilities in telemedicine, tele-education and telephone and other services.

In PSLV-XL version, six extended solid strap-on motors carrying 12 tons of solid propellant in total are being used as against nine tonnes in a standard PSLV variant.

This is the second time such a powerful configuration had been deployed, after it was used to put Chandrayaan-I into orbit in 2008.

For the PSLV, this will be the 19th mission with the last 17 flights proving successful. This is the second PSLV launch in 2011 after the PSLV-C16 in April when the rocket lofted Resourcesat-2 and two other micro satellites into orbit.