1.   After a weekend assessment, mission managers concluded the protrusion will not damage the shuttle.

2.   After debating whether to delay the outing for a day, mission managers directed Grunsfeld to don a dry suit.

3.   However, mission managers said, if they had been aware of potential air-quality problems, they would have asked for additional samples.

4.   If the slide continues, mission managers could postpone deployment until Sunday.

5.   If the weather turns foul in Florida and California again Wednesday, mission managers will consider staffing a third landing site at White Sands, N.M., on Thursday.

6.   Last year, as a cost-saving measure, mission managers broke precedent by postponing a launch for a day when faced with similar low odds.

7.   Meanwhile, NASA mission managers on Monday extended the research mission of Columbia and its crew of seven astronauts by at least one day.

8.   NASA mission managers decided there was no reason to curtail the flight that will retrieve Lucid from Mir because of the failure of a redundant shuttle hydraulic system.

9.   NASA launch director Dave King did not rule the possibility that mission managers could postpone a second attempt until Wednesday.

10.   Once they learned of its presence, mission managers attempted to rapidly assess how much of a threat the loose pin posed if it was not retrieved.