Satellite Has Serious Problems

A new $85-million military communications satellite launched by the crew of Discovery two weeks ago has suffered serious problems that could threaten its operation, officials said today.

If the trouble with Syncom 4--owned by Hughes Communications Inc. of Los Angeles and leased by the Navy for military communications--cannot be fixed by remote control from the ground, it will represent another blow to aerospace insurance underwriters who have paid $365 million in the last 18 months to cover four other satellite failures.