Posted: Fri, Jul 15, 2011, 8:40 PM ET (0040 GMT)
An Indian rocket successfully launched a domestic communications satellite on Friday. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on India's east coast at 7:18 am EDT (1118 GMT, 4:48 pm Indian time) Friday and placed the GSAT-12 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit about 20 minutes later. The satellite, built by ISRO, weighed 1,410 kilograms at launch and carries 12 extended C-band transponders. The satellite, to eventually be located at 83 degrees east GEO, will help meet India's growing demand for satellite communications capacity.

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