The Leader of Leads

 

Who said the best defense is a good offense? 

The exact origin of the phrase is unknown, but it has been popularized by American heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey. Here are the most notable figures associated with the sentiment:

Jack Dempsey: The boxer made the exact phrasing famous in the sports world, stating it was his primary strategy.

George Washington: He expressed a similar sentiment in 1799, writing that "offensive operations, often times, is the surest... means of defense".

Sun Tzu: Centuries earlier, the Chinese military strategist wrote in The Art of War that "Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack".

Carl von Clausewitz: The famous Prussian military theorist wrote a nearly identical concept: "The best form of defense is attack". 

I have spent my entire career selling. I started selling 'Car Phones' when the NYNEX Mobile System first went live in the NY CGSA (Cellular Geographic Service Area) back in the 80s. There were only 9 Cell Sites at the time, service was spotty (and expensive!) and the phones themselves were a few thousand dollars. Want one? 

Way back then I ran a TV Ad on our local Cable station that cost me $900 for the month. At the time, I think I had $995 in the bank. My first 'lead' was the guy that ran UPS for the Northeast. He lived in Budd Lake, New Jersey and drove to Secaucus, NJ every day. I have blogged on this story in the past. That one initial sale led to thousands of 'car phones' in the UPS trucks (and Executives Cars) in the Northeast. And then, nationwide. Do you think that the guy that ran UPS from Maine to Virginia could give me any referrals? 

After 40+ years in sales and marketing, I can honestly say that generating high quality LEADS is the most important thing in business. Nothing happens until someone sells something. And you cannot sell anything to anyone if they do not ENGAGE with you. And to get them to engage you need to win their ATTENTION. So it goes...

Attention > Engagement > Adoption > Utilization. 

1983 - 2026. Because I run the (now) Global Distance Learning Association (GlobalDLA.org) I get to interview hundreds of people from the top Schools of Business around the world. We have all 8 Ivy League Schools, and 174K+ K-20 schools in the NYDLA | NADLA ecosystem. And we have access to the ALUMNI of these schools. 

I owned the CLOdepot.com domain for many years, which originally stood for Chief Learning Officer. I was going to (planned to) build out a new business (like a riff on Home Depot) to service the Learning Officers of the world. You have CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, CIOs, CMOs and there are now CLOs. 

But I have changed my mind. CLOdepot.com is going to be dedicated to the Chief Leads Officer. 

For the first time in history, Penn State World Campus has more people paying them tuition than Penn State. Purdue University Online has more paying students than Purdue University. Rutgers University has 615K+ living alumni, with 380K+ of them living in New Jersey (like me!). 

2026: all of these 174K+ K-20 schools are now competing with each other. If you attend Stanford Online you are not going to ALSO attend MIT Online. If you go to UCONN online, you will not ALSO attend Quinnipiac Online. So all of these 174K+ schools are competing for you attention. They are all competing for your tuition dollars. 

Right now, today I could use tools like Adobe to send a 100% opt-in, zero spam campaign (email, mail, phone calls, SMS) to the 174K+ online schools serviced by the NYDLA | NADLA. If 10% engaged:

• That is 17,400 MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads)
• And if 10% of the engage that is 1,740 SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads)
• And if 10% of the the SQLs BUY that is 174+ sales. REVENUE! 

10% of 10% of 10% is being very conservative. I like to under promise and over deliver. And over time, those MQLs and SQLs will ALSO convert, as we continue to nurture the leads via our marketing automation tools. Oh right - we also service THE ALUMNI of our 174K+ DLA schools. 

So the big lesson that I have learned in my 40+ year career in SALES and MARKETING is this: he who has the best leads wins. 

Who needs some help with generating lots of HIGH QUALITY leads? I'm teaching everything I know. TomCapone.com is the 'Selling CEO' and I work for you, our members. 

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The New York METRO Distance Learning Association

Something cool happened to me (for me?) last week. Without my knowledge - out of the blue - one of our vendors sent me a DRAFT copy of my new book. A book that that was written for me (about me) by AI.

Basically, the AI bot read every one of (these) Sunday Blogs since 2010. It also read all of my NYDLA.org Tom's Tome posts (since 2025) and all of my social media posts. 

All of them. 

And then in less than an hour, it created a DRAFT of a 'book' written in my voice. If you want to see it, you can click here: NYDLA.org/AI_Book_Draft 

Now as I write THIS Sunday Blog, I don't know what to think (or feel) about this. I am both impressed and also terrified. I did not ask for this to be done, so I certainly did not know about this (or pay for this). The AI bot did not get everything correct. For example, it thinks I have two brothers (I have a sister) and it was a little sloppy with some of the facts. But for the most part, it was pretty accurate. And again, this was completed at no cost in less than an hour, in total. 

The New York METRO Distance Learning Association was born in the 5 boroughs of NYC in 1983. Pre-Internet. As of today, the NYDLA.org | NADLA.org services 174K+ K-20 online schools across North America. It's Kindergarten through 20 as in Grad School, Med School, Law School. We service all 8 Ivy League Schools. And amazing schools like PURDUE University Online with 600K+ alumni. Penn State World Campus with 800K+ alumni. RUTGERS with 615K+ alumni (380K+ alumni live in New Jersey - like me!). Many of these online schools have online courses that you can take from anywhere in the world. Courses on Sales, Marketing, Accounting, even Law School. PURDUE makes a point that the degree that you can earn from PURDUE University Online is the exact same education (degree) that you can earn from their campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Now, from anywhere in the world. 

And now I am thinking this: if AI can do this for 'a book' can it not also do this for an online course?

Hey AI bot: go read all of the books in the New York Public Library on Cybersecurity and write me a new book on Cybersecurity. You can access the New York Public Library from anywhere in the world. 

Hey AI bot: go TAKE a dozen courses online on Cybersecurity and make me a new course on Cybersecurity. 

If this was done (my book) and I was not even aware that it was happening, could the same not be happening right now for online courses, or for any media that you can find online? And would anyone even know that this was happening? 

Hey AI bot: go read all the books on Cybersecurity and go take all the online courses on Cybersecurity and then create a new Cybersecurity course (with a book) written in the voice of... Morgan Freeman. Let me know when you are finished. I would like it by end of of the day, please. 

Oh, AI bot: check to see if this is legal before you get started. Start by checking with Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Heck, check with ALL the Law Schools. And first check all the posts online about copyright law and whatnot. 

TomCapone.com wrote this Sunday Blog. No AI Was involved. {ah, but how would you know???} 

Plug In

 

I'm on my first road trip with an EV. And I'm having flashbacks.

I was born in 1960 so I have seen many 'firsts'. I remember getting a Color TV when that was a big deal. I remember having one of the first radio controlled garage doors when living in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. That was magic. My dad loved new stuff, we called them 'gadgets' back then.

In 1960, one in five American households didn’t have a car. 2025: There were 20.5 million EV cars sold, world-wide. 

Think about all the TV antennas on the rooftops across the USA. We had channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 when I was growing up. And then came Cable TV. And then Satellite TV. And then the Internet. 

The only constant in life is change. 

I learned to drive during the 'Gas Crisis' in the 70s. I watched as President Carter spoke to the nation on TV, as he made the National Speed Limit 55 across the USA. I felt so cheated! Just in time for me get my driver's license, we had gas rationing. I also remember when President Carter placed Solar Panels on the White house. 

And I remember when President Reagan promptly took them down. 

When I drove to and from PURDUE from my home in New Jersey in the 70s gas was around $0.85 a gallon. There was talk that gas might cost more than $1 per gallon one day soon. Many said that would never happen. There were many 'muscle cars' on campus, no one really cared about MPG back then. During my days at PURDUE we had Americans being held hostage in Iran. Now in 2026 our cars and trucks are being held hostage. We really don't seem to learn, do we?

I can charge my EV at home, during off peak hours. It takes around 5 to 7 hours to get a full charge from home. From the road, it takes 10 to 20 minutes to top off to 80% of a charge, which can get me 250 to 350 miles. The app in the car (and in my phone) will find a charger for road trips. My son has an EV so when we visit him in Connecticut I charge up in his driveway. 

Solar (and wind) technology has changed a lot since the 70s. I wonder where we would be as a country if we kept the solar panels on the White House. If we made the alternative energy industry cool. If we changed from 'muscle cars' to electric. The 'gas crisis of the 70s should have been a lesson for all of us, right? 

We were warned. Big money wanted to keep the game the same. And climate change was a hoax, right?

I remember making that college drive from New Jersey to Indiana, and looking at all the land. The open spaces. Farmland, and cornfields. Farms, farms, farms as far as the eye can see. Why not Wind Farms and Solar Farms? 

Dozens of countries operate electrified or battery-electric (EV) trains, with widespread adoption across Europe, Asia, and expanding rapidly in Australia and the Americas. The majority utilize traditional electrified overhead wires or third rails, while others are pioneering battery-electric or hydrogen-powered train technologies for cleaner transit.

Leading countries utilizing electrified (EV) and battery-electric trains include:

Switzerland: Operates a 100% electrified national railway network, featuring heavily utilized electric passenger and freight trains.

The Netherlands: The first country to run its entire national railway on 100% wind-powered electricity.

Japan: Operates one of the world's most extensive electrified networks (roughly 75% electrified), famous for its high-speed electric Shinkansen bullet trains.

India: Aiming for full network electrification, with nearly 90% of its rail routes electrified using heavy electric locomotives for both freight and passenger travel.

China: Boasts the world's largest high-speed rail network and one of the largest overall electrified networks in the world.

Spain: Leads Europe in high-speed rail and is pioneering zero-emission electric and hydrogen-powered high-speed trains.

Australia: Expanding commercial battery-electric freight locomotives, using massive onboard battery banks and regenerative braking to haul heavy mining loads without overhead lines.

My grandchildren will never know a world without EV trains, cars, trucks. Probably EV ships and aircraft, too. Fossil fuels will be like having thousands of horses in the city, pulling wagons and buggies. 

That must have really been something, manure as far as the eye can see on city streets. Here's to hoping that we have sunny (and windy) times ahead. Like the rest of the civilized world. 

Democratizing Education

 

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Thomas Edison invented the first phonograph in 1877, creating the first machine capable of both recording and reproducing sound. He announced the invention on August 12, 1877, and produced the first audio recording, "Mary Had a Little Lamb," using tinfoil wrapped around a rotating cylinder at his Menlo Park, NJ laboratory ( around 15 miles from my home ).

Key details about the 1877 invention

• The Process: Edison's initial phonograph used a stylus to indent sound vibrations onto a tinfoil sheet wrapped around a cylinder.
• Initial Purpose: It was designed to record telephone messages and dictation.
• Inspiration: The invention was born out of his work on telegraphy and an improved telephone transmitter.
• Patent: Although the device was demonstrated in 1877, the patent was filed on December 24, 1877, and issued in early 1878.

And so: Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 to record and reproduce sound, initially intending it as a business machine to record telephone messages and dictation. While working on telegraph transmitters, Edison discovered a way to emboss sound vibrations onto tin foil, creating the first machine capable of playing back recorded audio. 

Did Thomas Edison invent distance learning?

No, Thomas Edison did not invent distance learning.

Distance learning (also called distance education or correspondence education) refers to structured learning where students and instructors are separated by time and/or distance, often using mail, media, or technology for delivery and feedback. Its origins predate Edison by decades or even centuries.

Key Historical Timeline

• 1728: One of the earliest recorded examples was in Boston, where Caleb Phillips advertised shorthand lessons via mailed correspondence in the Boston Gazette.
• 1840s: Sir Isaac Pitman in Britain is widely credited with the first modern correspondence course. He taught shorthand by mailing transcribed texts on postcards and receiving student work back for correction. This was enabled by cheap, uniform postage (the Penny Post). It included two-way feedback and scaled successfully.
• 1858: The University of London began offering distance learning degrees through its External Programme, making higher education accessible worldwide.

Later developments included U.S. correspondence programs in the late 1800s, radio/TV-based education in the 20th century, and eventually online learning.

The New Jersey Edison Connection

Edison (1847–1931) was largely homeschooled by his mother after a brief, unsuccessful time in formal school (his teacher reportedly called him "addled"). He was a voracious self-learner through reading and experimentation, which some stories romanticize as early "learning at home."

He did engage with educational technology later in life. In 1913, he predicted that motion pictures would transform schools within a decade, saying something like "Our school system will be completely changed." He produced educational films, but this was about using media in (or alongside) education, not inventing remote/distance learning itself.

In short, Edison was a brilliant inventor and self-taught individual whose mother facilitated his early education at home, and he later championed visual media for teaching but distance learning as a concept and practice existed long before him. 

The "founding father" of modern correspondence/distance education is typically Pitman.

Key Broadcasting Milestones

• 1895–1897: Guglielmo Marconi conducted the first successful wireless transmissions (Morse code/dot-dash signals), including the first over open water in 1897. These were not audio broadcasts but point-to-point communication.
• December 24, 1906 (Christmas Eve): Reginald Fessenden (a Canadian inventor) made what is widely regarded as the first radio broadcast of audio - human voice and music. From Brant Rock, Massachusetts, he transmitted violin playing (O Holy Night), a Bible passage, and possibly a phonograph record. Ships at sea (as far as Virginia) picked it up. This is often cited as the birth of voice and music broadcasting. { around 120 years ago }

1919–1920: The start of regular/scheduled broadcasting.

• November 6, 1919: Hanso Idzerda's PCGG station in The Hague, Netherlands, began regular entertainment broadcasts.
• August 20, 1920: 8MK (later WWJ) in Detroit broadcast regularly.
• November 2, 1920: KDKA in Pittsburgh (Westinghouse) broadcast the U.S. presidential election results (Harding vs. Cox). This is frequently called the first commercial radio broadcast or the start of the broadcasting era in the U.S.

2026: The Distance Learning Association via Global Satellite High Speed Internet delivers K-20 Education to every location in the word. And Telemedicine. And Ecommerce. And of course, entertainment. 

Ever watch a TED.com talk? How about a Netflix documentary? Or have you ever attended a class (or a meeting) via Zoom? 

Yeah, I love my job. We are all living, learning, working, playing, teaching, training, coaching, mentoring in the GLOBAL Cloud COMMUNITY. 

Yours and mine. 

How could you possibly know this?

THIS Sunday Blog is about the book/movie Project Hail Mary. If you did not yet see the movie or read the book (or listen to the book) you might want to find an exit now.

In Andy Weir's novel Project Hail Mary (and its film adaptation), Ryland Grace is not a trained astronaut at the start. He's a former molecular biologist who became a middle-school science teacher. He gets pulled into the project because of his unique expertise on astrophage (the alien microbe threatening Earth's sun), based on his earlier controversial academic work about life not necessarily needing water.

Eva Stratt, the no-nonsense director of the international effort, recruits him early on. Over time, as the mission develops, Grace becomes deeply involved in planning and preparation for the Hail Mary spacecraft. He helps design experiments, trains the actual selected crew (the primary science specialist and backup) on the astrophage science they'll need, and participates hands-on in many aspects of the project.

Key reasons he knows the "astronaut training" procedures

Stratt plans for every contingency, including the possibility that something could go wrong with the primary crew. Grace effectively serves as a tertiary (third) backup science specialist all along, even though he has no intention of going on the one-way mission himself.

Because of this, he undergoes a lot of the same rigorous preparation and testing that the astronauts do:

• He participates in simulations.
• He tests equipment (including EVA/spacewalk suits and tools—he even acts as a guinea pig for some of those tests).
• He gets familiar with ship systems, procedures, zero-g operations, and other mission-critical skills under the guise of supporting the team or verifying the science setup.

This isn't full pilot or engineer training from day one, but it's enough exposure that, when the primary and backup science officers die in a lab explosion shortly before launch, Grace is the only person alive with both the deep astrophage knowledge and enough practical familiarity with the hardware and protocols to have a chance at succeeding. Stratt forces him aboard anyway (against his explicit refusal), sedates him, and launches the ship.

In the story's present-day timeline (aboard the ship), Grace wakes from a long coma with amnesia. As his memories return through flashbacks, he pieces together his involvement and applies that accumulated knowledge to operate the spacecraft, perform EVAs, troubleshoot systems, and improvise solutions. His scientific mindset and prior hands-on exposure fill in the gaps. He's not magically an expert pilot, but the preparation he received (plus the ship's automation and his own ingenuity) lets him manage.

The book emphasizes this more explicitly than the movie in some spots: Stratt had been subtly ensuring he was 'as prepared as possible' because she always viewed him as a potential fallback. It's a classic Weir-style "competence through preparation and problem-solving" detail that makes Grace's solo survival plausible without turning him into a superhuman astronaut overnight.

So my wife and I enjoyed the movie. And I downloaded the book on Audible. (I highly recommend you do both). But on the drive home last night we talked about how Ryland Grace knew all of the Astronaut stuff - he was never trained! We could not stop thinking about this 'flaw' in the movie. So, this morning I did the Ryland Grace thing myself: I asked Grok and Gemini and a few of my other AI friends to help me to solve the riddle. 

HERE IS THE POINT...

In the book, they do indeed go into much deeper detail as to how and why Ryland Grace was able to perform all of his Astronaut duties. In the movie, right up to the point he is forced aboard under an induced coma he keeps saying "I'm not an Astronaut! I was never trained! I don't know anything about anything!" A book on Audible with 16 hours of conversation would always have more detail than a 2 1/2 hour long movie, right? Ah so. Mystery solved. 

Happy Ending: Ryland Grace figured it out. As they say over and over again: You are smart. You will figure it out. 

Is there any better example of 'Distance Learning' than Project Hail Mary? Hmmm, maybe. 

Once again, welcome home to the crew of Artemis II. 

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One of these days, Alice.....

 If reading on a smartphone hold phone in landscape mode (sideways) 

Thes iconic line was the catchphrase of Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason) on the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners. Usually delivered in a fit of comical frustration, Ralph would shake his fist at his wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows), and follow up with his other famous threat: "Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!". 

Quick Facts About the Quote:

The Intent: Despite the aggressive language, the threats were always empty. Alice was never intimidated and usually shut Ralph down with a sarcastic retort or a simple "Ah, shaddap".

The Resolution: Most episodes ended with Ralph realizing his mistakes and telling Alice, "Baby, you're the greatest".

Pop Culture Legacy: The line has been parodied and referenced for decades in shows like The Flintstones (which was heavily inspired by the series), Family Guy, and Futurama. 

Now I was born in 1960. So I grew up during the 'Space Race' and the Apollo missions. My big 'TV Shows' growing up were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Star Trek, Mission Impossible. John Wayne was the big Movie Star, (1907–1979) an iconic American actor, director, and producer known as the definitive cowboy and war hero of Hollywood's Golden Age. Famous for his distinctive voice, towering presence, and roles in classics like Stagecoach, The Searchers, and True Grit - the latter winning him an Academy Award. John Wayne came to represent American rugged masculinity and conservative patriotism. 

The first interracial kiss on American network television occurred in the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren," aired on November 22, 1968, between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). The scene was driven by a storyline where telekinetic aliens forced the kiss, rather than it being a voluntary romance. 

Key Details of the Landmark Moment:

Cultural Significance: The kiss occurred just over a year after the US Supreme Court's 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision that deemed laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional.

Production Concerns: NBC executives feared backlash from Southern television stations and originally asked for a version without physical contact, but the actors intentionally ruined the "no-touch" takes.

Reception: Contrary to fears of massive protests, the episode aired without significant public backlash and actually garnered mostly positive fan mail, becoming a celebrated moment in TV history.

I write this Sunday Blog in April of 2026. And we have just welcomed the crew of Artemis II back home to Planet Earth. I just learned that Artemis and Apollo are the divine twins of Greek mythology, the children of Zeus and the Titaness Leto. Their relationship is defined by a deep familial bond, shared interests, and a duality that represents the balance between opposing forces like the sun and the moon. 

Opposing forces. War and Peace. Superstition is the opposite of Science. Good vs. Evil. Freedom vs. Enslavement. 

At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. Traditionally, this event has been used to mark the beginning of the Civil War.

165 years ago today. 

On February 4, 1861, representatives from six states met in Montgomery, Alabama, and officially established the Confederate States of America. On February 9, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis was elected president. Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, all slave states, did not join the Confederacy. 

Those four states made a decision that changed the history of our country. And the world.

The Artemis II crew consisted of four astronauts who flew around the Moon: NASA Commander Reid Wiseman, NASA Pilot Victor Glover, NASA Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. They are the first crewed mission to return to the Moon's vicinity. Google them. Research their backgrounds. What did they learn growing up? 

I write this Sunday Blog reflecting on everything that I learned, everything that I was taught growing up in the USA. Everything that influenced me from 1960 to 2026. Watching the Vietnam War on TV. Going to John Wayne movies with my Dad. The promise of a future in space, via Star Trek. Very popular TV shows that joked about striking a woman. I grew up in Cedar Grove, NJ just a few miles from Newark riots (July 12th to July 17th 1967). 

For me, someone born in the 60s NASA will always give me hope. Of what is possible. Not just for the USA but for all of us. 

For humanity. 

Find the GOLDEN Easter Eggs

If you are reading on a Smartphone, hold phone sideways (landscape) 

We had our first Family Easter Egg hunt yesterday in Connecticut. 

An Easter egg hunt is a fun, traditional activity (usually for children) where people search for hidden decorated eggs - either real hard-boiled eggs that have been dyed and painted, or plastic eggs filled with candy, small toys, or treats.

How an Easter egg hunt typically works:

Setup: An adult or organizer hides the eggs in a yard, park, house, or designated area. They might place them in easy-to-find spots for younger kids or more challenging locations for older ones.

The hunt: Kids (and sometimes adults) are given baskets or bags and then released to search for and collect as many eggs as possible within a time limit or until all eggs are found.

Rules: Common rules include no pushing, one egg per person at a time, or age-group divisions so younger children aren't outcompeted by older ones.

After the hunt: Everyone gathers to open the eggs, count their haul, and enjoy the goodies inside. Sometimes there are special "golden" or prize eggs that win bigger rewards.

Why it's called an "Easter egg hunt"

It’s tied to the Christian celebration of Easter (commemorating the resurrection of Jesus), but the egg-hunting custom has older pagan roots symbolizing spring, fertility, and new life. Eggs were decorated and given as gifts long before Christianity adopted the symbol. Today, it's mostly a secular family-friendly spring activity in many countries, especially the United States, even for non-religious families.

All are welcome to hunt for Easter Eggs. 

"Look Up to find the Golden Egg"

Yesterday in Connecticut there were around 25 eggs in total, but there was one very special egg - The Golden Egg. It took a few laps around the yard for the kids the find that one. We had to give hints, reminding them to 'look up' as Easter Eggs might not be only on the ground. Easter Eggs might be hiding in plain sight - anywhere. Above the ground. Above the earth. 

Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission in the Artemis program, sending four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth - the first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. It launched on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, atop the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft (named Integrity for this flight) carrying the crew.

Mission Objectives

Artemis II serves as a critical test flight. It demonstrates that the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and associated systems (including life support, navigation, communication, and re-entry) can safely carry humans into deep space. The crew will not land on the Moon; instead, they perform a lunar flyby (a "free-return trajectory"), looping around the far side of the Moon before returning home. This builds on the uncrewed Artemis I test in 2022 and paves the way for future moon landings (starting with Artemis III) and eventual long-term lunar presence (base) on the moon, plus future missions to Mars.

Key activities include:

• Testing Orion's systems with a real crew aboard.
• Conducting maneuvers, such as the translunar injection burn (completed successfully shortly after launch).
• Gathering data on human health and performance in deep space.
• Capturing views and photos of Earth and the Moon (including the far side).

The mission is on track as of this Easter Sunday Blog April 5, 2026, with the crew having left Earth orbit, performed the key burn toward the Moon, and reported positive spirits while observing unique views of Earth and approaching the lunar far side.

Broader Context: The Artemis Program

Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon sustainably - this time including women and international partners. The plan is to establish a lunar base (with the Gateway station), and use it as a stepping stone for Mars exploration. It involves collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency, which provides Orion's service module), Canada, Japan, and others.

As of this morning (April 5, 2026), the mission is progressing well in its early days, with live views and updates available right here from NASA. It's a major milestone in humanity's return to deep space exploration.

This is my first Easter Sunday with my grandsons. Born in 1960 I was 9 when Man first landed on the moon. There have been six manned U.S. moon landings (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) between 1969 and 1972, with 12 astronauts walking on the surface. Over 100 robotic spacecraft from various nations have also visited the moon, with over 25 successful soft landings by robotic probes. 

It's 2026 and we live in the age of AI, drones, telemedicine, self-driving cars, and high-speed GLOBAL satellite Internet reaching everyone, anywhere in the world. I remember the feeling of hope and the excitement of living during the Apollo missions. We all had hopes and visions of a future world that will help everyone living anywhere all with a lifetime of peace. An end to all wars. Education for all, healthcare for all, food for everyone. Quality of Life. Technology being shared and used for all mankind. 

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" is the historic phrase spoken by Neil Armstrong upon becoming the first human to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. While commonly heard without the "a," Armstrong intended to say "a man," which would differentiate "man" (individual) from "mankind" (humanity). 

I remember watching Star Trek with my Dad in our Cedar Grove, NJ living room in 1966. He loved watching Star Trek as much as he loved TV Westerns. And if my Dad loved something, so did I. My first memory of an Easter Egg hunt was when I was 5 years old. That was 60 years ago. Ah yes, Easter Egg Hunting symbolizing spring, fertility, and new life. Maybe the Artemis II can be a Golden Egg for all of us. For my three grandsons. And for your grandchildren, too. 

"Everyone: Look Up to find the Golden Eggs for Mankind. Look UP!"

From the Artemis II - Earth from Orion Capsule