alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (02/04/84)
The Challenger crew toady ejected Western VI, a Western Union satellite, from the cargo bay today on schedule. The ejection and initial firing of the satellite kick motor went well, but somewhere into the ascent to geosynchronous orbit, all contact with the satellite was lost. At the moment, there is no further information on what happened, and the satellite is considered lost in space. Western Union paid $10 million for the launch.