Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2502 ⟷ SL-3 R/B
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2502NORAD 40358 · launched Dec 2014Military payload
5.88kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-3 R/BNORAD 12457 · launched May 1981Rocket body
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 22 Oct 18:03 UTC.
Closest approach23 Oct 202615:38 UTC
Relative speed1.93 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude902 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live
Track COSMOS 2502Track SL-3 R/BAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2502 and RU SL-3 R/B are predicted to reach a closest approach of 5.88 km at 2026-10-23 15:38 UTC, at a relative speed of 1.93 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 22 Oct 18:03 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 2502Payload
NORAD 40358
CountryCIS
Launched2014-12-25
OrbitLEO · 898 × 905 km
COSPAR2014-086A
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-3 R/BR/B
NORAD 12457
CountryCIS
Launched1981-05-14
OrbitLEO · 817 × 918 km
COSPAR1981-043B
Maneuver capableNo
Spent rocket stage: uncontrolled, tracked by the public catalogue.
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 902 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 902 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

1 predicted pass under 10 km
Pair history · COSMOS 2502 ⟷ SL-3 R/B
2026-10-23 15:385.88 km Live forecast1.93 km/s902 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
22 Oct 16:02 UTC5.88 km Forecast23 Oct 15:38 UTC22 Oct 07:08 UTCRe-check
22 Oct 15:42 UTC5.95 km Forecast23 Oct 15:38 UTC22 Oct 07:08 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.92 km10-21 01:16 UTC
COSMOS 2502SECOR 1B
4.59 km10-20 23:59 UTC
COSMOS 2502TIANQI 27
4.99 km10-23 07:34 UTC
COSMOS 2502TIANQI 35

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 2502 ⟷ SL-3 R/B: 5.88 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/12457-40358 (accessed 2026-10-22).