Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2270 ⟷ SL-14 R/B
HighProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2270NORAD 23001 · launched Feb 1994Military payload
4.31kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-14 R/BNORAD 21305 · launched May 1991Rocket body
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 10 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 4.34 km at 24 Oct 01:59 UTC.
Closest approach24 Oct 202601:59 UTC
Relative speed12.01 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,408 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed24 Oct01:49 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2270Track SL-14 R/BAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2270 and RU SL-14 R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 4.31 km at 2026-10-24 01:59 UTC, at a relative speed of 12.01 km/s. Final forecast, made 10 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 4.34 km at 24 Oct 01:59 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 2270Payload
NORAD 23001
CountryCIS
Launched1994-02-12
OrbitLEO · 1,406 × 1,416 km
COSPAR1994-011C
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-14 R/BR/B
NORAD 21305
CountryCIS
Launched1991-05-16
OrbitLEO · 1,414 × 1,475 km
COSPAR1991-033G
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 · 1408 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1408 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 2270 ⟷ SL-14 R/B
2026-10-24 01:594.31 km Final forecast12.01 km/s1,408 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
26 Oct 16:07 UTC4.34 km Best estimate24 Oct 01:59 UTC24 Oct 06:03 UTCBest estimate
24 Oct 00:29 UTC4.31 km Forecast24 Oct 01:59 UTC23 Oct 16:39 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 12:49 UTC4.35 km Forecast24 Oct 01:59 UTC23 Oct 02:45 UTCRe-check
23 Oct 12:29 UTC8.36 km Forecast24 Oct 01:59 UTC23 Oct 02:45 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.73 km10-27 18:19 UTC
COSMOS 2161COSMOS 2270
3.95 km10-28 19:56 UTC
COSMOS 2270DELTA 1 DEB
4.14 km10-26 13:46 UTC
COSMOS 2270DELTA 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 2270 ⟷ SL-14 R/B: 4.31 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/21305-23001 (accessed 2026-10-28).