Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2230 ⟷ SL-8 DEB
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2230NORAD 22307 · launched Jan 1993Military payload
6.07kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-8 DEBNORAD 12151 · launched Jan 1981Debris
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 10 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.12 km at 21 Oct 12:56 UTC.
Closest approach21 Oct 202612:56 UTC
Relative speed11.02 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude981 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed21 Oct12:46 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2230Track SL-8 DEBAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2230 and RU SL-8 DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 6.07 km at 2026-10-21 12:56 UTC, at a relative speed of 11.02 km/s. Final forecast, made 10 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.12 km at 21 Oct 12:56 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
COSMOS 2230Payload
NORAD 22307
CountryCIS
Launched1993-01-12
OrbitLEO · 967 × 1,004 km
COSPAR1993-001A
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-8 DEBDebris
NORAD 12151
CountryCIS
Launched1981-01-21
OrbitLEO · 977 × 992 km
COSPAR1981-006C
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 981 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 981 km this pass sits inside the most congested band in low Earth orbit, home to the debris left by the 2007 ASAT test and the 2009 collision. 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

3 predicted passes under 10 km
Pair history · COSMOS 2230 ⟷ SL-8 DEB
2026-10-22 00:174.49 km Final forecast11.07 km/s989 kmView →
2026-10-21 22:328.10 km Final forecast11.06 km/s989 kmView →
2026-10-21 12:566.07 km Final forecast11.02 km/s981 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 13:29 UTC6.12 km Best estimate21 Oct 12:56 UTC21 Oct 11:42 UTCBest estimate
21 Oct 09:46 UTC6.07 km Forecast21 Oct 12:56 UTC21 Oct 04:37 UTCRe-check
21 Oct 03:52 UTC6.05 km Forecast21 Oct 12:56 UTC20 Oct 22:51 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 15:02 UTC6.02 km Forecast21 Oct 12:56 UTC20 Oct 04:09 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 14:44 UTC9.21 km Forecast21 Oct 12:56 UTC20 Oct 04:09 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
994 m10-23 10:16 UTC
COSMOS 2463SL-8 DEB
1.79 km10-26 02:33 UTC
COSMOS 2230COSMOS 996
2.44 km10-26 21:24 UTC
COSMOS 2230COSMOS 1375 DEB

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 2230 ⟷ SL-8 DEB: 6.07 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/12151-22307 (accessed 2026-10-27).