Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›YAOGAN-40 04B ⟷ CZ-6A R/B
HighProximity
ChinaYAOGAN-40 04BNORAD 100824 · launched Sep 2026Military payload
3.26kmPredicted miss distance
ChinaCZ-6A R/BNORAD 60397 · launched Aug 2024Rocket body
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 22 Oct 14:03 UTC.
Closest approach23 Oct 202602:48 UTC
Relative speed14.53 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude860 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live
Track YAOGAN-40 04BTrack CZ-6A R/BAll approaches
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CN YAOGAN-40 04B and CN CZ-6A R/B are predicted to reach a closest approach of 3.26 km at 2026-10-23 02:48 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.53 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 22 Oct 14:03 UTC. 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
YAOGAN-40 04BPayload
NORAD 100824
CountryPRC
Launched2026-09-24
OrbitLEO · 849 × 853 km
COSPAR2026-222B
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
CZ-6A R/BR/B
NORAD 60397
CountryPRC
Launched2024-08-06
OrbitLEO · 795 × 856 km
COSPAR2024-140U
Maneuver capableNo
Spent rocket stage: uncontrolled, tracked by the public catalogue.
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 860 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 860 km this pass sits inside the most congested band in low Earth orbit, home to the debris left by the 2007 ASAT test and the 2009 collision. 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 · YAOGAN-40 04B ⟷ CZ-6A R/B
2026-10-23 02:483.26 km Live forecast14.53 km/s860 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
22 Oct 11:50 UTC3.26 km Forecast23 Oct 02:48 UTC22 Oct 03:29 UTCRe-check
22 Oct 08:04 UTC3.29 km Forecast23 Oct 02:48 UTC21 Oct 22:25 UTCRe-check
22 Oct 05:04 UTC3.32 km Forecast23 Oct 02:48 UTC21 Oct 15:35 UTCRe-check
22 Oct 04:44 UTC4.80 km Forecast23 Oct 02:48 UTC21 Oct 15:35 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.98 km10-23 01:13 UTC
YAOGAN-40 04BNOAA 14
5.57 km10-20 18:47 UTC
YAOGAN-40 O4BFENGYUN 1C DEB
7.09 km10-20 23:53 UTC
YAOGAN-40 O4BCZ-6A DEB

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 — “YAOGAN-40 04B ⟷ CZ-6A R/B: 3.26 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/100824-60397 (accessed 2026-10-22).