NASA had been hoping that Ian would veer west, allowing the space agency to keep the massive rocket on the pad.
But after meeting Monday morning, space agency leaders made the decision “after additional data gathered overnight did not show improving conditions for the Kennedy Space Center area,” NASA said in a statement.
The flight, known as Artemis I, would send the Orion spacecraft, without any astronauts on board, in orbit around the moon. If NASA completes the flight successfully, it would then load Orion with as many as four people past the moon by 2024. A landing could come a year or so after that.
The next launch availability would come in mid- to late October. NASA could also attempt to launch in November.
NASA said it would begin rolling the vehicle back to its assembly building at 11 p.m. Eastern time Monday.
