Episode 3 — The Hidden Language of Space Data with Frank Blau

What does data have to do with space exploration? On this episode of the Space Curious Podcast, host Arn sits down with Frank Blau — data architect, space enthusiast, musician, typewriter collector, and all-around eclectic thinker — to explore how the way we structure data shapes the stories we tell with it.

Frank's journey into data started decades before "data architect" was even a job title. From falling in love with dBase on a Kaypro computer, to building databases for NASA's Titan rocket program, to discovering Marshall McLuhan's idea that "the medium is the message," Frank has spent his career learning to see the invisible structures behind information — and now he's bringing that lens to the space industry.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover:

• How Frank went from a humanities background to becoming a data architect
• Why "the medium is the message" applies just as much to databases as it does to media
• The hidden layers of data in space: telemetry, communications, compute, and security
• Space debris, Kessler Syndrome, and why the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better
• Why your "analogue brain" — skills like cooking, music, and writing — might be your biggest competitive advantage in a world of AI
• Building a grassroots space industry community in rural Austria
• A rapid-fire round covering favourite space missions, books, and more

Whether you're curious about space, data, or just how to think more clearly about complex problems, this episode has something for you.

Guest: Frank Blau — data architect
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-blau
Datamio: https://datamio.at
Stay and Type: https://stayandtype.com
Photography: https://frankblauphotography.com

Sponsor: Space Curious Podcast is sponsored by DE Orbit, part of Daniel Ernest Recruitment — https://danielernest.com/de-orbit
Host: Arn Terry — arn.terry@danielernest.com