Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›YAOGAN-50 02 DEB ⟷ TIANQI 25
HighProximity
ChinaYAOGAN-50 02 DEBNORAD 101051 · launched Mar 2026Military debris
2.96kmPredicted miss distance
ChinaTIANQI 25NORAD 59909 · launched May 2024Payload
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 18 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.85 km at 24 Oct 02:46 UTC.
Closest approach24 Oct 202602:46 UTC
Relative speed14.74 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude909 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed24 Oct02:29 UTC · final forecast
Track YAOGAN-50 02 DEBTrack TIANQI 25All approaches
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CN YAOGAN-50 02 DEB and CN TIANQI 25 were predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.96 km at 2026-10-24 02:46 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.74 km/s. Final forecast, made 18 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.85 km at 24 Oct 02:46 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-50 02 DEBDebris
NORAD 101051
CountryPRC
Launched2026-03-15
OrbitLEO · 854 × 968 km
COSPAR2026-051BT
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →
Profile →Globe →
TIANQI 25Payload
NORAD 59909
CountryPRC
Launched2024-05-29
OrbitLEO · 888 × 905 km
COSPAR2024-102A
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 909 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 909 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-50 02 DEB ⟷ TIANQI 25
2026-10-24 02:462.96 km Final forecast14.74 km/s909 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
27 Oct 12:05 UTC6.85 km Best estimate24 Oct 02:46 UTC26 Oct 17:17 UTCBest estimate
24 Oct 00:29 UTC2.96 km Forecast24 Oct 02:46 UTC23 Oct 20:06 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 18:29 UTC2.98 km Forecast24 Oct 02:46 UTC23 Oct 06:23 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 13:09 UTC2.99 km Forecast24 Oct 02:46 UTC22 Oct 14:58 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 12:49 UTC3.73 km Forecast24 Oct 02:46 UTC22 Oct 14:58 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.25 km10-26 09:06 UTC
YAOGAN-50 02 DEBTIANQI 27
3.54 km10-31 07:23 UTC
YAOGAN-50 02 DEBPRAETORIAN SDA_614
4.62 km10-26 03:58 UTC
YAOGAN-50 02 DEBMETEOR 2-17 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-50 02 DEB ⟷ TIANQI 25: 2.96 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/101051-59909 (accessed 2026-10-30).