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RU COSMOS 1997RU COSMOS 2491 DEB
5.28 kmpredicted miss distance
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 11 min before the pass.
Predicted closest approach
2026-10-20 14:55 UTC
Relative speed
13.58 km/s
Altitude
1,423 km
Last confirmed
20 Oct 14:44 UTC
Track COSMOS 1997 →Track COSMOS 2491 DEB →All approaches →
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RU COSMOS 1997 and RU COSMOS 2491 DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 5.28 km at 2026-10-20 14:55 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.58 km/s. Final forecast, made 11 min before the pass. 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 1997Payload
NORAD 19788
CountryCIS
Launched1989-02-10
OrbitLEO · 1,400 × 1,416 km
COSPAR1989-009D
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
COSMOS 2491 DEBDebris
NORAD 57569
CountryCIS
OperatorTSKHM
LaunchedWed Dec 25 2
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 · 1423 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1423 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 1997 ⟷ COSMOS 2491 DEB
2026-10-20 14:555.28 km Final forecast13.58 km/s1,423 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
20 Oct 12:32 UTC5.28 km Forecast20 Oct 14:55 UTC19 Oct 09:45 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 12:13 UTC6.06 km Forecast20 Oct 14:55 UTC19 Oct 09:45 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
3.66 km10-23 20:37 UTC
COSMOS 1997COSMOS 1232
3.68 km10-23 10:12 UTC
COSMOS 2092COSMOS 2491 DEB
6.55 km10-24 20:22 UTC
COSMOS 1997COSMOS 2008

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 1997 ⟷ COSMOS 2491 DEB: 5.28 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/19788-57569 (accessed 2026-10-25).