NASA said on Monday that it will roll its giant moon rocket off its launchpad in Florida and back to the assembly building to protect the vehicle from advancing Hurricane Ian, whose strengthening winds are forecast to lash the Kennedy Space Center later this week.

"The decision allows time for employees to address the needs of their families and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system," NASA said in a statement.

(Cover: NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) with the Orion crew capsule perched on top, stands on launch complex 39B as it is prepared for launch for the Artemis 1 mission at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., September 3, 2022. /Reuters)