Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›YAOGAN-30 M ⟷ H-2A R/B
high · PROXIMITY
CN YAOGAN-30 MJP H-2A R/B
2.53 kmpredicted miss distance
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
Predicted closest approach
2026-10-21 01:13 UTC
Relative speed
13.29 km/s
Altitude
550 km
Last confirmed
21 Oct 01:12 UTC
Track YAOGAN-30 M →Track H-2A R/B →All approaches →
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CN YAOGAN-30 M and JP H-2A R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.53 km at 2026-10-21 01:13 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.29 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
YAOGAN-30 MPayload
NORAD 43172
CountryPRC
Launched2018-01-25
OrbitLEO · 556 × 558 km
COSPAR2018-011D
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
H-2A R/BR/B
NORAD 33500
CountryJPN
Launched2009-01-23
OrbitLEO · 535 × 581 km
COSPAR2009-002J
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 · 550 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 550 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

1 predicted pass under 10 km
Pair history · YAOGAN-30 M ⟷ H-2A R/B
2026-10-21 01:132.53 km Final forecast13.29 km/s550 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
20 Oct 15:02 UTC2.53 km Forecast21 Oct 01:13 UTC20 Oct 06:59 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 14:44 UTC6.80 km Forecast21 Oct 01:13 UTC20 Oct 06:59 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.47 km10-22 09:34 UTC
YAOGAN-30 MCOSMOS 2614
4.00 km10-21 01:12 UTC
YAOGAN-30 MOBJECT G
6.10 km10-17 20:33 UTC
YAOGAN-30 MSL-3 R/B

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-30 M ⟷ H-2A R/B: 2.53 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/33500-43172 (accessed 2026-10-21).