Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A) ⟷ SL-6 R/B
HighCross-border
On permanent record
ChinaSHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)NORAD 54699 · launched Dec 2022Military payload
3.90kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-6 R/BNORAD 23753 · launched Dec 1995Rocket body
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 3.91 km at 24 Oct 02:30 UTC.
Closest approach24 Oct 202602:30 UTC
Relative speed14.55 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude807 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed24 Oct02:29 UTC · final forecast
Track SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)Track SL-6 R/BAll approaches
Share

CN SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A) and RU SL-6 R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 3.90 km at 2026-10-24 02:30 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.55 km/s. Final forecast, made minutes before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 3.91 km at 24 Oct 02:30 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
SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)Payload
NORAD 54699
CountryPRC
Launched2022-12-12
OrbitLEO · 785 × 801 km
COSPAR2022-169A
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-6 R/BR/B
NORAD 23753
CountryCIS
Launched1995-12-28
OrbitLEO · 798 × 805 km
COSPAR1995-072C
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 · 807 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 807 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

3 predicted passes under 10 km
Pair history · SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A) ⟷ SL-6 R/B
2026-10-27 09:304.84 km Live forecast14.27 km/s808 kmView →
2026-10-27 07:497.09 km Live forecast14.28 km/s808 kmView →
2026-10-24 02:303.90 km Final forecast14.55 km/s807 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
26 Oct 16:27 UTC3.91 km Best estimate24 Oct 02:30 UTC24 Oct 06:33 UTCBest estimate
24 Oct 00:29 UTC3.90 km Forecast24 Oct 02:30 UTC23 Oct 20:28 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 18:29 UTC3.88 km Forecast24 Oct 02:30 UTC23 Oct 07:03 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 11:14 UTC3.88 km Forecast24 Oct 02:30 UTC23 Oct 05:22 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 10:56 UTC8.70 km Forecast24 Oct 02:30 UTC23 Oct 05:22 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.92 km10-26 10:30 UTC
SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)FENGYUN 1C DEB
2.58 km10-23 04:26 UTC
SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)NOAA 16 DEB
2.85 km10-22 13:02 UTC
SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A)COSMOS 1269

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 — “SHIYAN 20A (SY-20A) ⟷ SL-6 R/B: 3.90 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/23753-54699 (accessed 2026-10-27).
✓ Permanent record. This encounter met the notability thresholds and keeps an archived page after the pass.