Daniel Vrankar

Daniel Vrankar is a PhD candidate at TU Dresden’s Faculty of Business and Economics, where his work sits at the intersection of satellite‑data use in finance, innovation and space policy, and public engagement with space. His current research project together with Lars Hornuf and Dmitry Payson investigates the existential value people attach to human space exploration and whether the public is willing to bear additional costs for astronaut‑led missions that deliver the same scientific and technological outcomes as robotic programs. 

Building on a background in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bremen, Daniel combines quantitative survey design with choice‑based conjoint analysis to test how mission attributes, such as human versus robotic crews; destination (the Moon, Mars, or deep‑space telescopes); and funding source, shape citizens’ preferences. By producing numerical estimates of each attribute’s relative importance, the study aims to guide national space agencies, parliamentary budget committees, and emerging commercial players in aligning exploration strategies with public values.