Stephen Ezell, meteorological systems operator at Weather Station A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, gets ready to release a weather balloon. Such balloons are released twice a day collecting data such as temperature and humidity as they rise. The data is released to agencies nationwide, including the 45th Space Wing which uses the data for its daily weather reports. The weather station provides additional data to NASA for launches -- releasing 12 balloons in eight hours prior to liftoff - and landings - releasing 5 balloons in six and a half hours before expected touchdown.