Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2117 ⟷ COSMOS 535
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2117NORAD 21031 · launched Dec 1990Military payload
6.33kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaCOSMOS 535NORAD 6270 · launched Nov 1972Military payload
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.34 km at 21 Oct 18:34 UTC.
Closest approach21 Oct 202618:34 UTC
Relative speed4.33 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,416 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed21 Oct18:30 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2117Track COSMOS 535All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2117 and RU COSMOS 535 were predicted to reach a closest approach of 6.33 km at 2026-10-21 18:34 UTC, at a relative speed of 4.33 km/s. Final forecast, made minutes before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.34 km at 21 Oct 18:34 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 mattersBoth objects are catalogued as payloads. Screening continues as new element sets arrive; operators act on their own conjunction data.

The Two Objects

Dossiers from the satellite directory
COSMOS 2117Payload
NORAD 21031
CountryCIS
Launched1990-12-22
OrbitLEO · 1,395 × 1,409 km
COSPAR1990-114D
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
COSMOS 535Payload
NORAD 6270
CountryCIS
Launched1972-11-01
OrbitLEO · 1,383 × 1,468 km
COSPAR1972-087H
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1416 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1416 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 2117 ⟷ COSMOS 535
2026-10-21 18:346.33 km Final forecast4.33 km/s1,416 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 19:09 UTC6.34 km Best estimate21 Oct 18:34 UTC22 Oct 03:20 UTCBest estimate
21 Oct 13:50 UTC6.33 km Forecast21 Oct 18:34 UTC21 Oct 06:46 UTCRe-check
21 Oct 13:30 UTC7.49 km Forecast21 Oct 18:34 UTC21 Oct 06:46 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.27 km10-25 06:13 UTC
COSMOS 2117COSMOS 1691 DEB
3.67 km10-21 03:30 UTC
COSMOS 2117GONETS D1 5
4.38 km10-27 07:38 UTC
COSMOS 2117DELTA 1 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 2117 ⟷ COSMOS 535: 6.33 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/21031-6270 (accessed 2026-10-26).