Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2263 ⟷ SL-3 DEB
high · PROXIMITY
2.69 kmpredicted miss distance
Not re-confirmedLast confirmed 3 h before the pass. Later screening did not re-confirm it.
Predicted closest approach
2026-10-19 23:12 UTC
Relative speed
13.64 km/s
Altitude
Last confirmed
19 Oct 20:03 UTC
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RU COSMOS 2263 and RU SL-3 DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.69 km at 2026-10-19 23:12 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.64 km/s. Screening last confirmed this pass 3 h before it was due and did not re-confirm it after that, so the figure may have been overtaken by newer orbital data, for example after a maneuver. 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
NORAD 22802
CountryCIS
Launched1993-09-16
COSPAR1993-059A
Maneuver capableUnknown
SL-3 DEBDebris
NORAD 14950
CountryCIS
Launched1977-12-14
COSPAR1977-117C
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 851 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 851 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 2263 ⟷ SL-3 DEB
2026-10-19 23:122.69 km Not re-confirmed13.64 km/s851 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.

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.31 km10-22 05:01 UTC
COSMOS 2263DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB
2.57 km10-19 05:56 UTC
DMSP 5D-3 F17 (USA 191)SL-3 DEB
3.34 km10-18 02:36 UTC
COSMOS 2263FENGYUN 1C 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 2263 ⟷ SL-3 DEB: 2.69 km forecast, not re-confirmed”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/14950-22802 (accessed 2026-10-21).