Voyager / Dr. Mavretič

The exhibition highlights one of the most ambitious space projects of the 20th century – NASA’s Voyager programme. At the heart of the display is the scientific contribution of Dr. Anton Mavretič (1934–2019), a Slovenian physicist and engineer who, as a key member of the research team, played a vital role in the development of the plasma science instrument aboard both Voyager probes.

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 provided revolutionary insights into the outer planets of our Solar System. To this day, the spacecraft continue to transmit data from interstellar space and remain the most distant human-made objects in existence. Each probe also carries a symbolic message from Earth in the form of a golden record containing information about human civilisation.

Dr. Anton Mavretič (1934–2019) (PhD) was a Slovenian physicist and engineer who made a crucial contribution to the project as a key developer of the Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) aboard the Voyager spacecraft. This instrument was designed to measure solar plasma in space, significantly advancing our understanding of the interplanetary and interstellar environment.

The exhibition presents the scientific, technological and cultural significance of the Voyager programme, while also highlighting the important role of a Slovenian scientist in one of the greatest international scientific missions in history.