Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›SJ-9B ⟷ PSLV DEB
MediumProximity
ChinaSJ-9BNORAD 38861 · launched Oct 2012Military payload
5.27kmPredicted miss distance
IndiaPSLV DEBNORAD 27141 · launched Oct 2001Debris
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
Closest approach21 Oct 202609:15 UTC
Relative speed9.25 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude582 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed21 Oct09:12 UTC · final forecast
Track SJ-9BTrack PSLV DEBAll approaches
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CN SJ-9B and IN PSLV DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 5.27 km at 2026-10-21 09:15 UTC, at a relative speed of 9.25 km/s. Final forecast, made minutes before the pass. 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
SJ-9BPayload
NORAD 38861
CountryPRC
Launched2012-10-14
OrbitLEO · 582 × 604 km
COSPAR2012-056B
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
PSLV DEBDebris
NORAD 27141
CountryIND
Launched2001-10-22
OrbitLEO · 563 × 627 km
COSPAR2001-049CM
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 582 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 582 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 · SJ-9B ⟷ PSLV DEB
2026-10-21 14:533.55 km Final forecast9.21 km/s606 kmView →
2026-10-21 09:155.27 km Final forecast9.25 km/s582 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
21 Oct 03:52 UTC5.27 km Forecast21 Oct 09:15 UTC20 Oct 23:13 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 12:32 UTC5.01 km Forecast21 Oct 09:15 UTC20 Oct 02:21 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 12:13 UTC4.96 km Forecast21 Oct 09:15 UTC19 Oct 22:10 UTCRe-check

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.42 km10-20 13:57 UTC
SJ-9BRCM 1
3.11 km10-23 18:28 UTC
SJ-9BCUBY-2
4.16 km10-23 08:41 UTC
SJ-9BCOSMOS 2251 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 — “SJ-9B ⟷ PSLV DEB: 5.27 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/27141-38861 (accessed 2026-10-23).