The balloon launch has been delayed for the third consecutive day since its original launch date on Sunday. Nasa is now looking at tomorrow morning at the earliest for a release, although later in the week seems more likely.
''Right now we're in a day-to-day evaluation,'' Nasa's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility programme office chief Debbie Fairbrother said.
Nasa staff
were considering the effect winds would have on the balloon's trajectory in the stratosphere from Wanaka to the east coast of New Zealand, as well as the surface weather conditions from ground level to 400m.
Cyclone Pam made the predicted trajectory ''unacceptable'' at present as it was trending too far north, meaning it could run into safety constraints over densely populated areas of South America and Africa, Ms Fairbrother said.
'' . . . I'd much rather prefer when the balloon leaves this area it kind of follows the same latitude band that we're on.''
The delays were a normal part of Nasa's balloon programme and the team still had plenty of time on its side.
''We're very used to being ready and waiting for the appropriate conditions. So this is kind of a normal course of business for us ... once the storm passes we fully expect to have acceptable conditions, but from a staffing standpoint we can stay here for several weeks without any impact to the programme.''
If the surface winds as well as the trajectory and the safety had worked out it would have gone on Sunday, but ''we violated the safety numbers that we have to follow''.
Wanaka Airport manager Ralph Fegan said a recently-finalised legal agreement between Queenstown Airport, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and Nasa was ''just ticking the boxes'' and had not contributed to launch attempt delays.
Nasa will issue a further update by 2pm today.
