SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

Satellite Contract: McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. in Huntington Beach said it has won a contract to launch a second satellite for Indonesia’s government-owned telephone company, Perumtel.

Bob Cowls, general manager of McDonnell Douglas’ commercial Delta rocket program, said the contract is worth about $50 million to the company. It follows a successful launch last year of a satellite for Indonesia aboard a Delta rocket.

Cowls said McDonnell Douglas won the Indonesian contract against competition from China’s government-sponsored rocket program and the European consortium Arianespace.

The Palapa B-4 communications satellite is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., as early as March, 1992.

The contract is the 13th commercial launch order for the Delta II. So far, the company has launched eight commercial payloads.

On Friday, a Delta II rocket was used to launch into orbit a communications satellite for GTE Spacenet.