US space shuttle lifts Indian satellite to orbit

The space shuttle Challenger put a weather and communications satellite into orbit for the Indian government Wednesday, keeping up the shuttle program's perfect record for deploying commercial payloads.

The $50 million Indian national satellite was ejected from the shuttle's cargo bay. After the spacecraft was maneuvered to a safe distance away, an onboard booster rocket moved the device into a higher, elliptical orbit.

The Challenger crew had a brief scare when a fire-warning Klaxon horn sounded in their cabin, but it was a false alarm.