1966-03-16, 7:17 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston. 8 hours, 36 minutes into the flight of Gemini 8. We've had no further voice contact with the spacecraft since it left the Rose Knot area some 10 to 15 minutes ago, and we do not expect any further conversation until the spacecraft is over the Coastal Sentry Quebec which should occur at 8 hours and 52 minutes into the flight. At last reports the Agena was in a stable attitude, I repeat the Agena was in a stable attitude and tracking placed it about 5 miles ahead and below, earlier Neil Armstrong had said about a mile below the Gemini 8 spacecraft. We are also advised by the Recovery Forces that the plan is to take the crew to Naha in Okinawa and they will be billeted there for all the post flight checks. Again the retrofire time is to be 10 hours, 4 minutes into the flight. The splash taking place 32 minutes after retrofire, that to occur in area 7-3, an area 500 miles east of Okinawa. The weather out there in that area is outstanding, waves only 3 feet, visibility 10 miles and they will come down in a daylight situation. Local time will be approximate 12:30. Two airplanes are on their way there, a destroyer is on its way there. In addition, a third airplane, an amphibian capable of landing on the water if necessary is also being sent there from Naha. This is Gemini Control, Houston.

1966-03-16, 7:33 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston. Additional recovery information has been forwarded to us. We now estimate it will be about three hours after spacecraft landing that the destroyer Mason will be on the scene. While the spacecraft lands, one C-54 should have already been on the scene for some 20 minutes. It will be overhead. It is equipped to pick up electronic signals as the spacecraft reenters and in general we will get most of our information from that airplane. Most likely that will be patched back through Japan and across the Pacific. A second C-54 should be there some 20 to 25 minutes after landing, along with that amphibian aircraft we mentioned earlier. The retrofire itself which is programmed to take place at 8:46 CST, ten hours and 4 minutes of elapsed time into the mission, will take place over south central Africa according to present estimates. Meanwhile here in the Contro1 Center, Capsule Communicator Jim Lovell and backup crew members Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon, are going over the reentry checklist which will be checked out very carefully with the crew. I want to emphasize that there may be considerable communications difficulties in that landing area. We are counting heavily on that relay into Japan, but at best they will be marginal. So post landing information may be a little slow in coming, but we will do our best. At 8 hours and 53 minutes into the mission, this is Gemini Control, Houston.

1966-03-16, 7:33 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston. We're 9 hours, 2 minutes into the flight and we just concluded the pass from Gemini 8 over the Coastal Sentry Quebec. This was the point, where about two hours ago, we first - got our first reports of trouble. The trouble itself apparently started at 7 hours into the mission. Neil was over the CSQ about 20 to 25 minutes later, at which time he advised us of it. We would like to play for you now the tape conversation over the CSQ, which is primarily passing up the retro fire times, all the values they'll need onboard to do a controlled reentry. Here's that tape.

1966-03-16, 8:03 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston; 9 hours, 22 minutes into the flight of Gemini 8, and in the last few minutes we did hear briefly from the spacecraft as it passed through the Hawaii area of contact. The crew was passed up additional retro information and toward the end of the very brief period we were in contact, Neil Armstrong was running through some control mode checks in the spacecraft and he reported one of the happier pieces of news we have heard in some time, that is, that he now has yaw control back on his Orbital Attitude Maneuvering System. This was the system that he reported earlier was inoperative after backing off the Agena. He did report, however, just a minute or two ago - I timed it at 9 hours and 17 minutes into the mission - that he did have OAMS control again. This will be of help to him in lining up his platform and preparing for his retrofire maneuver which is to take place at 20 degrees longitude and approximately 0 degrees latitude over Africa. We will attempt to monitor it via the Kano, Nigeria station although we have no great hopes of picking up the signal. That's slightly outside the ring of acquisition for Kano. Again, the weather out in the recovery zone continues good. Our maps here show there will be at least six hours of daylight after splash, which is helpful, wave heights as we reported earlier are only three feet, and all in all, we look pr&ty good. We'll be coming up probably in a few minutes after the Rose Knot Victor talks to them, which acquisition should take place at 9 hours and 44 minutes into the mission, some 20 minutes from now. This is Gemini Control, Houston.