Augmentation and Optimisation of the Australian Desert Fireball Network to Enable New Planetary Science

Abstract

Planetary science is limited by the scarcity of extraterrestrial samples of known origin. Fireball camera networks can provide these in the form of meteorites with known pre-atmospheric entry orbits. Here, a new digital fireball observatory implementing a novel timing technique is described. This design has enabled the Desert Fireball Network to cover a third of Australia, recover two meteorites with orbits and observe more than a dozen additional meteorite dropping fireballs.