Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2131 ⟷ COSMOS 1235
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2131NORAD 21106 · launched Feb 1991Military payload
5.70kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaCOSMOS 1235NORAD 12114 · launched Dec 1980Military payload
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 7 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 5.73 km at 21 Oct 20:51 UTC.
Closest approach21 Oct 202620:51 UTC
Drift speed357 m/s1,286 km/h, seen from COSMOS 1235
Altitude1,418 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed21 Oct20:44 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2131Track COSMOS 1235All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2131 and RU COSMOS 1235 were predicted to reach a closest approach of 5.70 km at 2026-10-21 20:51 UTC, drifting past at about 357 m/s (1,286 km/h) as seen from COSMOS 1235. Final forecast, made 7 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 5.73 km at 21 Oct 20:51 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 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
COSMOS 2131Payload
NORAD 21106
CountryCIS
Launched1991-02-12
OrbitLEO · 1,386 × 1,468 km
COSPAR1991-009G
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
COSMOS 1235Payload
NORAD 12114
CountryCIS
Launched1980-12-23
OrbitLEO · 1,413 × 1,464 km
COSPAR1980-102H
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1418 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1418 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 · COSMOS 2131 ⟷ COSMOS 1235
2026-10-21 20:515.70 km Final forecast0.36 km/s1,418 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
23 Oct 21:09 UTC5.73 km Best estimate21 Oct 20:51 UTC21 Oct 12:43 UTCBest estimate
21 Oct 13:30 UTC5.70 km Forecast21 Oct 20:51 UTC21 Oct 06:58 UTCRe-check
21 Oct 09:46 UTC5.70 km Forecast21 Oct 20:51 UTC21 Oct 04:59 UTCRe-check
21 Oct 03:52 UTC5.71 km Forecast21 Oct 20:51 UTC20 Oct 20:52 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 20:52 UTC5.72 km Forecast21 Oct 20:51 UTC20 Oct 05:40 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.70 km10-23 19:43 UTC
COSMOS 2131COSMOS 1529
3.08 km10-21 19:52 UTC
COSMOS 2131COSMOS 732
3.66 km10-23 01:26 UTC
COSMOS 2118COSMOS 1235

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 — “COSMOS 2131 ⟷ COSMOS 1235: 5.70 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/12114-21106 (accessed 2026-10-25).