Nasa reveals insider images of race to get Artemis 1 off launch pad as storm threatens multibillion dollar Moon rocket

NASA has revealed stunning new images of the Artemis 1 rocket, after the launch was delayed again as a hurricane barrels towards Florida.

The US space agency was set to launch its Artemis 1 mission this week, but officials have moved the rocket back to its hangar amid fears over Hurricane Ian.

It takes between six and 12 hours to move the multi-billion dollar rocket the four miles from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be safe from the weather.

This is the third delay in the past month for the uncrewed lunar-orbiting test flight.

Despite the constant delays, Nasa lightened the moon by revealing some stunning behind-the-scenes images of the launch pad via its Twitter account.

The tweet read: "Ahead of Hurricane Ian, our #Artemis I Moon rocket and spacecraft were rolled back from the pad and secured inside @NASAKennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building."

Nasa shared four images total, some stills and others in long exposure.

In one of the images, users can see the rocket lit up in the nighttime as it sits on the launch pad.

In another image, the rocket can be seen in the daytime as it sits next to the Nasa launch building.

Thousands of users have liked Nasa's images since they went live on social media.

"Super interesting, thank you for broadcasting. Sending good wishes for everyone in the path of the hurricane to stay safe!" one user tweeted.

"To Artemis: let yourself rest," a second user joked.

"Magnificent," a third person simply remarked.

What is the Artemis I lunar mission?

The Artemis I lunar mission is one of several uncrewed flight tests that will help the agency ensure the flight is safe before crew members fly aboard Artemis II.

The goal of the Artemis missions is to get men back on the Moon and they will reportedly make history by landing the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.

The first launch will help demonstrate Orion’s systems in a spaceflight environment and make sure there is a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery before astronauts take off.

"I'm afraid that people think it's routine," Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson previously told CBS News.