Plan to Build Fourth Shuttle Is Told

President Reagan has decided to order a fourth space shuttle to replace the lost Challenger, and an industry magazine says the vehicle will be stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for use by the military when it is completed in about 1992.

Reagan rejected the suggestions of some advisers to ban commercial satellites as shuttle cargo, deciding instead to allow some such satellites on a selective basis, Aviation Week and Space Technology says in its Aug. 18 edition.

Reagan’s decision was confirmed Thursday by a senior Administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and refused to provide any details. Administration sources said Reagan intends to announce his decision in his weekly radio broadcast Saturday.

Aviation Week cited no sources for its story. It said that Reagan’s decision reaffirms the need for a four-orbiter fleet to counter Soviet advances and to support the building of a space station, international commitments and advanced military flights.

The magazine said the government plans to make a modest start on the orbiter, spending as little as $150 million in the year beginning on Oct. 1. The final price tag for the vehicle will be more than $2 billion.