ScientistPankaj: Space and Physics: The rise of space hotels

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Space and Physics: The rise of space hotels

April 16— I don’t know about you, but this week I’m still basking in the afterglow of Artemis II, NASA’s decades-in-the-making mission that brought four astronauts to the moon and back with a successful splashdown last Friday. But we’ve got other fare on offer, too: the secrets of “dancing” black-hole jets, the rise of space hotels, the discovery of “altermagnets” and much more. Enjoy!

Thoughts? Questions? Let me know via e-mail (lbillings@sciam.com), X or Bluesky.

—Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Physical Sciences

Top Stories

Two Artemis II astronauts, NASA's Victor Glover and Christina Koch, pose together onboard the USS John P. Murtha after a successful splashdown.

Artemis II reveals why humans still love the moon

The triumph of NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in a half-century is a reminder of what the moon really means for Earth—and why we’re going back

Lee Billings

A researcher wearing white gloves seals a quartz tube to form the ampoule shape (left); A close up of five quartz tubes (right).

How strange new ‘altermagnets’ could rewrite physics

How the discovery of altermagnets could change physics and computing

Bob Henderson

Immerse yourself in the universe of science with a subscription to Scientific American.

Material from a large blue star is funneled onto a nearby black hole. The black hole is launching jets from its poles that are pushed by the stellar wind from the nearby star.

Secrets of cosmic evolution may lurk in this black hole’s ‘dancing’ jets

A first-of-its-kind observation shows how jets from voracious black holes can shape the growth of galaxies

Lee Billings

Taken 36 minutes before Earthset, our home planet is visible in the blackness of space off the limb of the illuminated Moon. Earth is in a crescent phase, with sunlight coming from the right. Orientale mare basin, with its dark floor of cooled lava and outer rings of mountains, covers nearly the lower third of the imaged lunar surface. Different colors in the mare hint at its mineral composition. The lines of small indentations above Orientale are secondary crater chains, formed by material ejected during a violent primary impact. Both of the new craters that the Artemis II crew has suggested names for – Integrity and Carroll – are in full view. The edge of the visible surface of the Moon is called the “lunar limb.” Seen from afar, it almost looks like a circular arc – except when backlit, as in other images captured by the Artemis II crew.

How far from humanity were the astronauts of Artemis II? The answer will surprise you

Artemis II’s crew went farther from humanity than anyone has been before. Here’s how one scientist determined whom, specifically, they were farthest from

K. R. Callaway

A large silvery robotic octocopter, NASA's Dragonfly drone, flies over orange dunes against a pale sky.

NASA’s Dragonfly will explore the air, land and seas of Titan, Saturn’s most mysterious moon

NASA plans to launch a wildly ambitious nuclear-powered octocopter to Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, in 2028

Phil Plait

A dimensional spacecraft inside a cutout of a suitcase against a blue background.

Space hotels are coming soon

With the rise of private orbital habitats, vacations in space are becoming a real possibility for the ultrawealthy

Jonathan O'Callaghan

Crescent moon seen against the darkness of space

NASA needs nuclear power for its moon base. Here’s the White House plan to get it

If the U.S. is ever to set up a permanent outpost on the moon, it will need nuclear power. The White House just released a road map to get it as soon as 2028

Claire Cameron

A large helicopter hovers over a tethered Dream Chaser space plane on an airport runway.

NASA’s moon plans relegate space planes to an almost-forgotten future

After all these years, Dream Chaser—a commercial U.S. space plane—is still chasing the dream of spacecraft that can fly from orbit to airports

Tom Metcalfe

A large tube-like pointed spacecraft docked to a smaller canister spacecraft with four black wings.

Artemis III sets up a high‑stakes test of rival moon landers

In 2027’s Artemis III mission, the space agency aims to test two challengers, SpaceX and Blue Origin, for a lunar landing mission

Dan Vergano

An inside look at an Ideon detector placed at the top of a mine tunnel.

Mining companies are using cosmic rays to find critical minerals

As rich ore gets harder to find, the mining industry is using subatomic particles to map rock deep underground

Adam Bluestein

Photograph of astronaut Christina Koch looking out window of Orion spacecraft at a distant Earth

‘Moon joy’ and the overview effect—how views from space change us

Artemis II’s views from space trigger a special type of awe. Psychologists suggest holding onto it

Allison Parshall

A photograph shows the large detector face of the The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider

New fundamental physics measurement deepens quantum mystery

A new calculation helps narrow down the mass of the W boson, one of the heaviest fundamental particles in the universe

Clara Moskowitz

A view of half the moon's disk, topped by a tiny crescent Earth.

See NASA’s Artemis II mission around the moon in 12 stunning photos

The Artemis II mission’s 10-day odyssey around the moon and back was captured in stunning photographs at every moment. Here are 12 of our favorite images

Joseph Howlett

Artemis proves NASA can return to the moon. Now comes the hard question: Why?

Artemis II’s safe return from lunar orbit sparks a debate over the costs, climate effects and long‑term value of going back to the moon

Kendra Pierre-Louis, Claire Cameron, Lee Billings, Emma Gometz, Joseph Howlett, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura, Kylie Murphy, Sushmita Pathak

What We're Reading

Senators seek increased funding for NASA Mars missions | Space News
“One bad measurement” ruled out as Hubble tension explanation | Big Think
Heartwarming video shows Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch reuniting with her dog | NBC News