Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›USA 485 ⟷ FIREFLY ALPHA R/B
HighProximity
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 2 Nov 05:08 UTC.
Closest approach2 Nov 202607:03 UTC
Relative speed14.49 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude335 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live

US USA 485 and US FIREFLY ALPHA R/B are predicted to reach a closest approach of 4.22 km at 2026-11-02 07:03 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.49 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 2 Nov 05:08 UTC. 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
USA 485Payload
NORAD 62756
CountryUS
Launched2025-01-21
COSPAR2025-014X
Maneuver capableUnknown
NORAD 60210
CountryUS
Launched2024-07-04
COSPAR2024-125H
Maneuver capableNo
Spent rocket stage: uncontrolled, tracked by the public catalogue.

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 335 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 335 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 · USA 485 ⟷ FIREFLY ALPHA R/B
2026-11-02 07:034.22 km Live forecast14.49 km/s335 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
2 Nov 03:47 UTC4.22 km Forecast2 Nov 07:03 UTC1 Nov 11:17 UTCRe-check
2 Nov 03:27 UTC9.71 km Forecast2 Nov 07:03 UTC1 Nov 11:17 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
926 m10-28 04:58 UTC
USA 485USA 486
1.79 km11-02 17:52 UTC
USA 485USA 486
2.52 km10-30 05:46 UTC
USA 485USA 486

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 — “USA 485 ⟷ FIREFLY ALPHA R/B: 4.22 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/60210-62756 (accessed 2026-11-02).