Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2338 ⟷ SL-14 R/B
HighProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2338NORAD 24726 · launched Feb 1997Military payload
2.77kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-14 R/BNORAD 18340 · launched Sep 1987Rocket body
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 7 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.71 km at 2 Nov 06:14 UTC.
Closest approach2 Nov 202606:14 UTC
Relative speed14.15 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,428 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed2 Nov06:07 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2338Track SL-14 R/BAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2338 and RU SL-14 R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.77 km at 2026-11-02 06:14 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.15 km/s. Final forecast, made 7 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.71 km at 2 Nov 06:14 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 2338Payload
NORAD 24726
CountryCIS
Launched1997-02-14
OrbitLEO · 1,413 × 1,422 km
COSPAR1997-006B
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-14 R/BR/B
NORAD 18340
CountryCIS
Launched1987-09-07
OrbitLEO · 1,411 × 1,471 km
COSPAR1987-074G
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 · 1428 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1428 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 2338 ⟷ SL-14 R/B
2026-11-02 06:142.77 km Final forecast14.15 km/s1,428 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
5 Nov 06:31 UTC2.71 km Best estimate2 Nov 06:14 UTC2 Nov 09:02 UTCBest estimate
2 Nov 03:27 UTC2.77 km Forecast2 Nov 06:14 UTC1 Nov 10:05 UTCRe-check
1 Nov 18:48 UTC2.79 km Forecast2 Nov 06:14 UTC1 Nov 04:39 UTCRe-check
1 Nov 09:16 UTC2.79 km Forecast2 Nov 06:14 UTC1 Nov 02:32 UTCRe-check
1 Nov 08:16 UTC2.82 km Forecast2 Nov 06:14 UTC31 Oct 09:14 UTCRe-check
1 Nov 07:56 UTC3.68 km Forecast2 Nov 06:14 UTC31 Oct 09:14 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.74 km11-04 15:56 UTC
COSMOS 2114COSMOS 2338
5.24 km11-02 14:57 UTC
COSMOS 2338COSMOS 1622
6.12 km11-07 12:34 UTC
COSMOS 2090SL-14 R/B

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 →