Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2248 ⟷ SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR)
HighProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2248NORAD 22649 · launched May 1993Military payload
3.92kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR)NORAD 13609 · launched Oct 1982Rocket body
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 24 Oct 05:10 UTC.
Closest approach24 Oct 202609:52 UTC
Relative speed4.94 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,402 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live
Track COSMOS 2248Track SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR)All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2248 and RU SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR) are predicted to reach a closest approach of 3.92 km at 2026-10-24 09:52 UTC, at a relative speed of 4.94 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 24 Oct 05:10 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 2248Payload
NORAD 22649
CountryCIS
Launched1993-05-11
OrbitLEO · 1,401 × 1,416 km
COSPAR1993-030D
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR)R/B
NORAD 13609
CountryCIS
Launched1982-10-12
OrbitMEO · 283 × 12,436 km
COSPAR1982-100G
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 · 1402 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1402 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 2248 ⟷ SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR)
2026-10-24 09:523.92 km Live forecast4.94 km/s1,402 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 18:29 UTC3.92 km Forecast24 Oct 09:52 UTC23 Oct 05:57 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 11:14 UTC3.06 km Forecast24 Oct 09:52 UTC23 Oct 01:59 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 10:56 UTC3.14 km Forecast24 Oct 09:52 UTC23 Oct 01:59 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
3.70 km10-25 02:23 UTC
COSMOS 2248COSMOS 1691 DEB
3.85 km10-21 21:28 UTC
COSMOS 2248SL-14 R/B
3.94 km10-19 19:05 UTC
COSMOS 2248COSMOS 1691 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 2248 ⟷ SL-12 R/B(AUX MOTOR): 3.92 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/13609-22649 (accessed 2026-10-24).