Boeing officials announced on Tuesday a major transition of work in its Human Space Flight & Exploration (HSF&E) business to better support its customers, United Space Alliance and NASA.

Approximately 1,100 jobs will be redistributed with a significant portion being relocated from Southern California to Florida and Texas. The business-wide move of functions and related skills will allow Boeing to complement customer functions for the International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs specifically, while addressing the business's growing need for cost reductions.

"Boeing places a premium on the company's legacy in human space flight and its partnership with NASA and United Space Alliance," said Mike Mott, vice president and general manager for Boeing HSF&E. "Safety is our highest priority. Boeing's HSF&E management team will take all necessary steps to maintain our critical skills and 'heritage' knowledge in the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.

"We plan to move complementing engineering and support functions closer to our customers which will create synergy between the programs and lower costs," continued Mott. "The outcome includes integrated and efficient engineering operations resulting in significant cost savings, which we will be able to pass on to the customer, and increased competitiveness for Boeing."

The headquarters and associated functions for Human Space Flight & Exploration will remain in Huntington Beach, which will become the Design and Development Center for HSF&E. Sustaining engineering will move to Texas and Florida. The sites in Huntsville, Ala., and Palmdale, Calif., will continue in their current roles.

The company will provide a competitive relocation package to those moving. For those who do not wish to relocate, every effort will be made to find them another position with Boeing.

The Boeing Company, headquartered in Seattle, is the largest aerospace company in the world and the United States' leading exporter. It is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, and the largest NASA contractor. The company's capabilities in aerospace also include rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, rocket engines, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communication systems. The company has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries and manufacturing operations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.