HomeManeuver TrackerClose ApproachesSJ-21 ⟷ SJ-25
high · PROXIMITY
3.93 kmmiss distance
Closest approach (TCA)
2026-09-24 22:06 UTC
Relative speed
0.00 km/s
Altitude
Current separation
Share 𝕏 R

On 2026-09-24 22:06 UTC, CN SJ-21 and CN SJ-25 reached a closest approach (TCA) of 3.93 km, with a relative velocity of 0.00 km/s. Miss distance and time of closest approach are computed by propagating the latest published orbital elements for both objects, and values update as new element sets are published. See the Satellite Maneuver Tracker for the live picture and space situational awareness for context.

Why it mattersBoth objects are catalogued as payloads. Screening continues as new element sets arrive; operators act on their own conjunction data.

The Two Objects

Dossiers from the satellite directory
SJ-21Payload
NORAD 49330
CountryPRC
Launched2021-10-24
COSPAR2021-094A
Maneuver capableYes
Towed defunct BeiDou satellite to graveyard orbit 2022
SJ-25Payload
NORAD 62485
CountryPRC
Launched2025-01-06
COSPAR2025-002A
Maneuver capableUnknown

Where This Happens

Altitude context
GEO BELT 35,786 KMTHIS PASS · 35,932 KMLEOMEOGEO

This pass happens near the geostationary belt, where satellites hold fixed longitude slots and relative speeds are low. Close approaches here are usually slow drifts rather than crossing passes. About GEO →

History Between This Pair

1 recorded pass under 10 km
Pair history · SJ-21 ⟷ SJ-25
Now3.93 km0.00 km/s35,932 kmThis page

Repeat encounters are common for objects in near-intersecting orbital planes; each pass is re-screened as fresh element sets arrive.

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-21 ⟷ SJ-25: 3.93 km close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/49330-62485 (accessed 2026-09-24).
✓ Permanent record. This encounter met the notability thresholds and keeps an archived page after the pass.