BOEING UNIT COULD DOUBLE WORK FORCE.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Capturing work for the space shuttle fleet, the international space station and commercial aircraft operations, officials of Boeing's Reusable Space Systems say their 650-person Palmdale work force could double in the next 18 months.

Acquisition by aerospace giant Boeing last summer is opening new opportunities for the unit in Palmdale, which was formerly Rockwell's Space Systems Division. A variety of manufacturing work for other projects has been added to what used to be strictly a space shuttle construction and modification operation.

``We have a vision to double our work force over the next year to 18 months,'' said Allen Hoffman, director of space shuttle modifications.

With the arrival Friday of the orbiter Atlantis for a $70 million modification effort, the Palmdale work force will climb to 750 to 800 workers by January. Of that total, about 350 people will be working on Atlantis.

Other work being done at Palmdale includes making parts for Boeing's commercial aircraft operations, making the external tank umbilical assemblies for the space shuttle program, building wire harnesses and tube assemblies for the international space station and building engine manifolds for the X-33, which will test technologies for a future spaceship.

In the past, Palmdale's work force swelled to 300 to 400 for each space shuttle modification, only to shrink to a handful when the orbiter was returned to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Shuttle modifications still are the core of the Palmdale operations. NASA has two studies under way, one by its inspector general's office and the other commissioned by its top management, examining whether future modifications should be done in Palmdale or at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

``We're optimistic,'' Hoffman said. ``We feel good we will be portrayed in a good light. Of course, we believe Palmdale should be the place.''