Prairie Network

The Prairie Network was a significant astronomical organization that operated in the central United States from 1964 to 1974. It was part of a larger effort, alongside networks in Canada and Europe, to photograph bright meteors, known as fireballs. The primary goal of these networks was to measure meteoroid orbits and determine their origins, as well as to identify potential impact areas and recover any surviving meteorites for study.1

While the Prairie Network collected extensive data that advanced meteor science, the recovery of meteorites had limited success, with only three being found across all networks. These recovered meteorites were ordinary chondrites, confirming their origin from the asteroid belt and improving the understanding of meteoroid behavior during atmospheric entry.1