September 18 UPDATE: The first portion of the MGM experiment was performed from 1:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 18, to about 4:30 a.m. Dr. Nicholas Costes, the MGM Project Scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center reports that this portion of the test went well. A second test will start at 11:30 p.m., Thursday, September 19, 1996 and will be concluded at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, September 20. The third and final portion of the experiment Test will start at 12:30 a.m. on Satuday, September 20, 1996 and will be concluded at about 4:30 a.m. of the same day.

After Atlantis arrives back on Earth, the experment's granular material specimens will be transported either from the orbiter's landing site to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama for laser measurements and the introduction of an epoxy filler so that thin sections can be obtained from the specimens to study their internal composition and structure.