Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›FAST 1 (USA 222) ⟷ CZ-4 DEB
HighCross-border
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 9 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 8.43 km at 26 Oct 19:13 UTC.
Closest approach26 Oct 202619:13 UTC
Relative speed14.93 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude612 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed26 Oct19:04 UTC · final forecast

US FAST 1 (USA 222) and CN CZ-4 DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 8.45 km at 2026-10-26 19:13 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.93 km/s. Final forecast, made 9 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 8.43 km at 26 Oct 19:13 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 37227
CountryUS
Launched2010-11-20
COSPAR2010-062F
Maneuver capableUnknown
CZ-4 DEBDebris
NORAD 26272
CountryPRC
Launched1999-10-14
COSPAR1999-057FJ
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 · 612 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 612 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

2 predicted passes under 10 km
Pair history · FAST 1 (USA 222) ⟷ CZ-4 DEB
2026-10-26 19:138.45 km Final forecast14.93 km/s612 kmShown above
2026-10-26 11:563.80 km Final forecast14.93 km/s620 kmView →

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
30 Oct 05:51 UTC8.43 km Best estimate26 Oct 19:13 UTC26 Oct 21:23 UTCBest estimate
26 Oct 16:41 UTC8.45 km Forecast26 Oct 19:13 UTC26 Oct 05:01 UTCRe-check
26 Oct 09:03 UTC8.45 km Forecast26 Oct 19:13 UTC25 Oct 18:14 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 22:03 UTC8.40 km Forecast26 Oct 19:13 UTC24 Oct 06:04 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 21:43 UTC9.10 km Forecast26 Oct 19:13 UTC24 Oct 06:04 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.43 km11-01 07:24 UTC
FAST 1 (USA 222)CATCH-1
2.54 km10-30 11:27 UTC
FAST 1 (USA 222)FAST 2 (USA 228)
3.54 km10-30 17:41 UTC
FAST 1 (USA 222)KUIPER-00442

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 — “FAST 1 (USA 222) ⟷ CZ-4 DEB: 8.45 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/26272-37227 (accessed 2026-10-31).