The sixth attempt for this year was called off at 6.45am today due to high surface winds.
Campaign mission manager Gabe Garde said: "The wind speed was below our limit for a time, but unfortunately picked back up at a speed that would not support a launch today.
"We were close once again in our processing, but the winds didn’t set up in the end."
The space agency said it would make another attempt on Saturday morning.
Cyclones, unpredictable winds and mechanical issues have all conspired against a launch so far. Last year, it took five attempts before a successful launch on May 16.
Once off the ground, the super-pressure balloon is expected to circumnavigate the globe about the southern hemisphere's mid-latitudes once every one to three weeks, depending on wind speeds in the stratosphere.
The aim is for it remain airborne for more than 100 days.
If a launch goes ahead tomorrow, a section of State Highway 6 between Luggate and the Wanaka Airport will be closed for up to an hour, between 8am and 11.30am.
A detour will be in place through Hawea Flat.
The public can view the launch from the top of Mt Iron, from the Hawea Flat side of the Clutha River, and atop the hill on the Kane Rd side of the Luggate Red Bridge.
- Kerrie Waterworth and Tim Miller
