BOEING SITE TEEMS WITH WORKERS; COLUMBIA PROJECT BRINGS JOBS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

With the arrival of space shuttle Columbia, the Palmdale work force at Boeing Space Systems is nearing the 800-worker level.

Boeing Space Systems has 790 people at its Palmdale site, with about 350 workers assigned to the modification of Columbia. Space Systems had about 650 two years ago.

``Employment will peak at little over 800,'' said Boeing spokesman Alan Buis.

Last September, Space Systems completed modifications to the orbiter Atlantis. Completion of the work triggered the layoffs of about 80 workers.

Since Columbia returned to Palmdale in late September, Boeing has rehired many of its shuttle workers.

In the past, Space Systems employment would go through boom-and-bust employment cycles as orbiters came in for modifications and then departed after a few months.

In the past two years, however, the company has built up its work force through a collection of contracts providing subcontracting services to other parts of the Boeing Co. and to other companies.

As part of a corporate restructuring, Boeing relocated a few dozen workers from its International Space Station program in Huntington Beach to Palmdale. Those workers, who build components for the station, will remain in Palmdale for the life of the program.

Among the other projects being done by Boeing is the manufacture of ground support equipment for the Delta IV space boosters.

Boeing workers recently completed work on engine components for the X-33, an experimental aircraft being built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.

Boeing will begin assembly on a new experimental aircraft, the X-37, in 2001. Boeing will begin fabrication of the parts of the spacecraft, which will be flown both in space and in the atmosphere, next year.

Boeing and NASA are still negotiating the contract for the work on Columbia. An agreement is expected to be reached this month, Buis said.

The work on Columbia will be similar to that performed on Atlantis. That project, valued at $70 million, lasted 10 months and involved more than 50 major modifications. The work included installing a ``glass cockpit'' - touch-screen electronic panels that replaced the orbiter's 1970s video screens and mechanical gauges.

Columbia was originally expected to be delivered to Palmdale in May, but there were delays in preparing the payload, the X-ray telescope Chandra, for the orbiter's last mission before going in for modifications. Columbia's next launch is tentatively scheduled for December 2000.