Yesterday was one of those days.
The balloon, in its steel container, was on the tarmac at Wanaka Airport well before sunrise.
The huge tankers of helium were nearby.
Little ''piballs'' - Nasa lingo for pilot balloons - were despatched to show which way the wind was blowing.
Flashes of high-vis could be seen in the distance as Nasa staff got ready to lay the balloon out on the airport runway, ready for inflation.
A media contingent of about 10 hovered around a large bacon and egg pie in the safety of an aircraft hanger.
And then, around 8.30am, it was all over for the day.
Operations manager Dwayne Orr explained why the balloon would not be going up.
Barely detectable ''surface winds'' were coming from the wrong direction by about 180deg.
''We had these diametrically opposed winds and you don't want to mess with this big balloon with those kind of winds.''
Nasa's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility programme office chief Debora Fairbrother said it was not the first time a launch had been delayed.
''In 2012, in Sweden, we were flight-ready in late June and ended up launching in August ... on the 24th attempt. And it was a beautiful launch.
''That's ballooning for ya.''
Mr Orr said conditions might have looked good yesterday ''but when you get into these big [weather] systems like this you have got to be careful''.
''Diametrically opposed winds with this kind of high-dollar asset and the complicated launch process ... it's just important to be safe.
''And, we know what can happen if it goes bad, and we're not going to let that happen.''
Mr Orr said there would be no chance of a launch today because of expected 33kmh-37kmh winds.
A decision about a launch attempt tomorrow will be made this afternoon.
