On Thursday NASA declared that the final launch of its space shuttle program has been shifted to February. The reason behind it is that processing of a final load of spare parts, has been delayed.

The last flight will take place in November. Many of the workers toiling hard on the shuttle, are likely to become jobless after the launch. The delay would be beneficial in preserving those jobs for another three months.

The exact reasons for the extension were not disclosed by the officials of the Agency other than the delays in getting the equipment ready. After the launch, the shuttle has to continue working up till the year 2020.

Sources reveal that another reason for the extension is that some other spacecrafts would be launched by the end of the year 2010 at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Kyle Herring, NASA Spokesman, revealed, "There's a lot of what I call highway traffic". The final two launches will be postponed due to the recent alteration.

The orbiter Discovery was geared up for launch on Sept. 16 but now the launch will take place on Nov. 1. It was expected to take the spare parts to the station.