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NASA delays final space shuttle flights

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- The final flight for the space shuttle program has been pushed back to February 2011, NASA said Thursday.

The shuttle Endeavour, which will conduct the program's final mission, STS-134, had been slated to launch in 2010, but a delay in the next-to-last mission resulted in the final launch being pushed back to February 26, 2011.

The shuttle program's second-to-last flight, that of the shuttle Discovery, was moved from September to November 1.

The launch dates were delayed because critical payload hardware for Discovery will not be ready in time for the original launch date, NASA said.

The space shuttles launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.