Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›SPACEMOBILE-011 ⟷ CZ-4C DEB
HighCross-border
On permanent record
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.90 km at 22 Oct 20:06 UTC.
Closest approach22 Oct 202620:06 UTC
Relative speed14.46 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude531 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed22 Oct20:02 UTC · final forecast

US SPACEMOBILE-011 and CN CZ-4C DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 3.21 km at 2026-10-22 20:06 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.46 km/s. Final forecast, made minutes before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.90 km at 22 Oct 20:06 UTC. This is a cross-border encounter between objects of different nations, the kind of event closely watched for space-security implications. Miss distance and time of closest approach are computed by propagating the latest published orbital elements for both objects, and each pass is re-checked every 20 minutes as new element sets are published. See the Satellite Maneuver Tracker for the live picture and space situational awareness for context.

Why it mattersOne side of this pass cannot maneuver, so any avoidance decision rests with the other operator. Screening continues as new element sets arrive.

The Two Objects

Dossiers from the satellite directory
NORAD 100242
CountryUS
Launched2026-08-05
COSPAR2026-179C
Maneuver capableUnknown
CZ-4C DEBDebris
NORAD 37567
CountryPRC
Launched2010-08-09
COSPAR2010-038C
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 531 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 531 km this pass sits in low Earth orbit. Objects here stay up for decades: there is too little atmospheric drag to clean the band naturally. Why crowded bands matter →

History Between This Pair

1 predicted pass under 10 km
Pair history · SPACEMOBILE-011 ⟷ CZ-4C DEB
2026-10-22 20:063.21 km Final forecast14.46 km/s531 kmShown above

Repeat encounters are common for objects in near-intersecting orbital planes. Each pass is re-screened as fresh element sets arrive; "Final forecast" means the screening still predicted it within 45 minutes of its time, "Not re-confirmed" means later screening stopped finding it.

Forecast Record

Every figure published for the pass shown above, newest first. Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.
Computed · figure · predicted time · orbit data · by
24 Oct 20:09 UTC2.90 km Best estimate22 Oct 20:06 UTC23 Oct 00:37 UTCBest estimate
22 Oct 19:42 UTC3.21 km Forecast22 Oct 20:06 UTC22 Oct 07:12 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.54 km10-26 09:47 UTC
SPACEMOBILE-011OBJECT F
3.04 km10-25 17:22 UTC
YAOGAN-30 ABCZ-4C DEB
3.80 km10-25 17:54 UTC
SPACEMOBILE-011OBJECT H

How These Numbers Are Computed

Miss distance and TCA come from propagating the latest published orbital elements for both objects and searching for the minimum separation over the screening window. Element sets carry kilometre-scale uncertainty, so figures here describe a close pass, not a collision prediction; a change in either object's published elements re-computes the pass automatically. What is a conjunction? → How conjunction assessment works →

Cite this encounter: Orbital Radar — “SPACEMOBILE-011 ⟷ CZ-4C DEB: 3.21 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/100242-37567 (accessed 2026-10-25).
✓ Permanent record. This encounter met the notability thresholds and keeps an archived page after the pass.