1966-03-16, 8:33 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston. We have been in touch with the spacecraft over the past few minutes, a detailed briefing other than the numbers which they received earlier on the retro positions and their retro commands passed along. We acquired at 9 hours and 44 minutes into the flight. Actually the TM acquisition, the voice conversation picked up a couple of minutes later. The crew sounds quite relaxed coming into this retrofire maneuver. Among other things they were advised to drink some water before their retrofire maneuver. It was also suggested they drink some water after retrofire on their way down to the landing point. The surgeon also has suggested that each of them take a tablet of merazine. This is a tablet to avoid motion sickness. The reason being while the wave height in the landing area is only three feet, it's choppy, and they suspect it might cause them to be a little seasick once down on the water. The crew has confirmed they have completed their pre-retro checklist and they a further medical suggestion was that if they do elect to leave the spacecraft, the suggestion is to take the medical kit along just in case. Meanwhile the C-54, whose call sign has been passed along to them, is nearing the area, the impact, the landing area. It has on board three pararescue men who will leap into the water once they have the spacecraft in sight. They will have with them a flotation collar which they will affix about the spacecraft. At nine hours 53 minutes into the flight, this is Gemini Control, Houston.

1966-03-16, 8:47 pm This is Gemini Control, Houston. The pilots were counted down in the blind via the Kano Station, and Neil Armstrong, while he said nothing leading up to the point of retrofire, came back with a very reassuring, "We have all four retros; all four have fired". A cheer went up here in the Control Center, and I'm sure everyone can understand why. The contact from here is through the Kano, Nigeria station. Armstrong, after the maneuver, went on to relate that everything was in a stable condition and seemed to be proceeding satisfactorily. We want to emphasize again that there is practically no communication expected now for some time. We are going to try to reach them via the Coastal Sentry Quebec on HF after they emerge from blackout, but that signal at best will be marginal, Probably our first authoritative information will come via one of those C-54 aircraft maneuvering in the area of east of Okinawa. This is Gemini Control, Houston.