Close approaches · derelict watch · October 8, 2026
Derelict watch
The 30 dead objects most likely to start a debris cascade, from the McKnight et al. ranking, checked every day for close approaches within 5 km over the next seven days. This week they have 20 between them.
| # | Object | Mass | Under 5 km | Under 1 km | Closest this week | Daily count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SL-16 R/B 22566 · 837×848 km | 9,000 kg | 1 | 0 | 4.50 km from CENTISPACE-2 S10 2026-10-10 16:10 UTC · globe |
|
| 2 | SL-16 R/B 22220 · 827×848 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 3 | SL-16 R/B 31793 · 843×846 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 4 | SL-16 R/B 26070 · 827×854 km | 9,000 kg | 2 | 0 | 2.30 km from YAOGAN-40 01C 2026-10-13 04:51 UTC · globe |
|
| 5 | SL-16 R/B 16182 · 833×844 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 6 | SL-16 R/B 20625 · 834×853 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 7 | SL-16 R/B 27006 · 986×1,006 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 8 | SL-16 R/B 23705 · 831×852 km | 9,000 kg | 1 | 0 | 4.90 km from DMSP 5D-3 F16 (USA 172) 2026-10-14 10:26 UTC · globe |
|
| 9 | SL-16 R/B 25407 · 835×844 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 10 | SL-16 R/B 23405 · 838×845 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 11 | SL-16 R/B 17974 · 823×846 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 12 | SL-16 R/B 23088 · 841×845 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 13 | SL-16 R/B 22285 · 840×844 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 14 | SL-16 R/B 22803 · 823×850 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 15 | SL-16 R/B 19650 · 831×848 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 16 | SL-16 R/B 24298 · 839×863 km | 9,000 kg | 1 | 0 | 4.03 km from YUNHAI-3 01 2026-10-13 04:58 UTC · globe |
|
| 17 | SL-16 R/B 28353 · 842×848 km | 9,000 kg | 2 | 0 | 1.00 km from OBJECT B 2026-10-11 16:57 UTC · globe |
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| 18 | SL-16 R/B 17590 · 831×841 km | 9,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 19 | SL-16 R/B 19120 · 814×842 km | 9,000 kg | 8 | 0 | 1.37 km from FENGYUN 3H 2026-10-12 13:31 UTC · globe |
|
| 20 | SL-16 R/B 25400 · 801×813 km | 9,000 kg | 3 | 0 | 1.83 km from YUNHAI-2 02D 2026-10-14 10:29 UTC · globe |
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| 21 | ENVISAT 27386 · 764×766 km | 7,800 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 22 | METEOR 3M 27001 · 994×1,013 km | 2,500 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 23 | ADEOS 24277 · 793×794 km | 3,560 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 24 | H-2A R/B 27601 · 734×836 km | 3,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 25 | SL-12 R/B(2) 15334 · 838×847 km | 2,440 kg | 1 | 0 | 2.65 km from FENGYUN 3B 2026-10-12 12:40 UTC · globe |
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| 26 | CZ-2D R/B 37932 · 791×846 km | 4,000 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 27 | SL-8 R/B (Kosmos-3M stage) 10732 · 966×995 km | 1,435 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 28 | H-2 R/B 24279 · 860×1,306 km | 2,700 kg | 1 | 0 | 4.19 km from QIANFAN-98 2026-10-11 08:52 UTC · globe |
|
| 29 | COSMOS 2322 23704 · 842×854 km | 3,250 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km | |
| 30 | SL-8 R/B 21090 · 961×992 km | 1,435 kg | 0 | 0 | none under 5 km |
Counts come from the whole-catalog SOCRATES Plus screening (5 km threshold, seven days ahead). Closest distances are as screened; open the globe for our recalculation with the latest orbit data. The derelicts' own orbits are as of 2020 in the ranking table; the screening uses current data.