Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Problems Hit Device Launched by Shuttle

A series of problems plagued ground controllers before and after the space shuttle Discovery astronauts deployed an observatory satellite to examine the effects of pollution on Earth’s ozone layer. The observatory had been released a little later than planned because controllers had trouble getting a signal to pass between the craft’s main antenna and a second satellite through which data is transmitted to Earth. The problems continued after the release. Signals were gained and lost three times within two hours. Officials at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida said the interruptions were caused by a procedural problem on the ground.