Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 1998 ⟷ DELTA 1 R/B
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On permanent record
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 27 Oct 19:04 UTC.
Closest approach27 Oct 202619:30 UTC
Relative speed10.38 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,398 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live

RU COSMOS 1998 and US DELTA 1 R/B are predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.39 km at 2026-10-27 19:30 UTC, at a relative speed of 10.38 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 27 Oct 19:04 UTC. This is a cross-border encounter between objects of different nations, the kind of event closely watched for space-security implications. 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 19789
CountryCIS
Launched1989-02-10
COSPAR1989-009E
Maneuver capableUnknown
NORAD 6306
CountryUS
Launched1972-12-11
COSPAR1972-097B
Maneuver capableNo
Spent rocket stage: uncontrolled, tracked by the public catalogue.

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1398 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1398 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 1998 ⟷ DELTA 1 R/B
2026-10-27 19:302.39 km Live forecast10.38 km/s1,398 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
27 Oct 13:00 UTC2.39 km Forecast27 Oct 19:30 UTC27 Oct 07:57 UTCRe-check
27 Oct 09:47 UTC2.41 km Forecast27 Oct 19:30 UTC26 Oct 22:12 UTCRe-check
27 Oct 09:28 UTC9.38 km Forecast27 Oct 19:30 UTC26 Oct 22:12 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
201 m10-22 09:36 UTC
COSMOS 1998SL-8 R/B
770 m10-28 14:53 UTC
COSMOS 1998DELTA 1 DEB
2.91 km10-27 02:56 UTC
COSMOS 1998GLOBALSTAR M079

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 1998 ⟷ DELTA 1 R/B: 2.39 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/19789-6306 (accessed 2026-10-27).
✓ Permanent record. This encounter met the notability thresholds and keeps an archived page after the pass.