ROCKETDYNE TO GIVE TOURS OF ITS ONCE-SECRET SITE.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Daily News Staff Writer

Rocketdyne's once top-secret rocket-making facility at the Santa Susana Field Lab, now also the site of an environmental cleanup, has opened its doors to visitors, and today more than 200 people plan to take a look.

From space enthusiasts interested in ongoing rocket work at the site to environmentalists concerned about cleanup of the facility, visitors throughout the morning will take bus tours that are expected to become a regular part of company operations.

``People are curious about it, so we want to share it with them,'' said Rocketdyne spokesman Dan Beck. ``There's a lot of exciting work going on up there.''

Among the sites along the tour will be test stands for Atlas and Delta rocket engines, historic test stands from the first rockets made 45 years ago and the sites where scientists made the main engines that powered the space shuttle and that will send astronaut John Glenn on his next space ride, Beck said.

Tourists will also see areas where contaminated soil is being pulled from the site and contaminated groundwater is being pumped and cleaned. Both operations are part of the company's $55 million environmental cleanup, Beck said.

Scientists and company officials will speak with visitors along the tour.

For decades, Rocketdyne has manufactured and tested rocket engines used in space and military operations, and operated a nuclear testing facility on the site.

Almost 10 years ago, it was made known that radiation had contaminated soil and water on parts of the site, and last year a landmark study showed high cancer death rates among some workers exposed to radiation at the site.

Rocketdyne, a division of Boeing since 1996, continues to manufacture and test rockets at the field lab.

Though Saturday's bus tours are filled, with 240 people signed up for the visit, the company plans to offer another set of tours.