Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2194 ⟷ COSMOS 873
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2194NORAD 21983 · launched Jun 1992Military payload
7.24kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaCOSMOS 873NORAD 9590 · launched Dec 1976Military payload
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 9 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 7.25 km at 27 Oct 23:32 UTC.
Closest approach27 Oct 202623:32 UTC
Relative speed13.43 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,463 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed27 Oct23:23 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2194Track COSMOS 873All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2194 and RU COSMOS 873 were predicted to reach a closest approach of 7.24 km at 2026-10-27 23:32 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.43 km/s. Final forecast, made 9 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 7.25 km at 27 Oct 23:32 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 2194Payload
NORAD 21983
CountryCIS
Launched1992-06-03
OrbitLEO · 1,458 × 1,484 km
COSPAR1992-030H
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
COSMOS 873Payload
NORAD 9590
CountryCIS
Launched1976-12-07
OrbitLEO · 1,464 × 1,495 km
COSPAR1976-118C
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1463 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1463 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 2194 ⟷ COSMOS 873
2026-10-27 23:327.24 km Final forecast13.43 km/s1,463 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
31 Oct 18:56 UTC7.25 km Best estimate27 Oct 23:32 UTC27 Oct 23:07 UTCBest estimate
27 Oct 13:00 UTC7.24 km Forecast27 Oct 23:32 UTC27 Oct 00:22 UTCRe-check
27 Oct 09:47 UTC7.23 km Forecast27 Oct 23:32 UTC26 Oct 21:50 UTCRe-check
27 Oct 09:28 UTC9.12 km Forecast27 Oct 23:32 UTC26 Oct 21:50 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
574 m10-29 08:57 UTC
COSMOS 2194THORAD DELTA 1 DEB
1.54 km11-01 23:50 UTC
COSMOS 2194DELTA 1 DEB
3.36 km11-01 23:00 UTC
COSMOS 2194SL-8 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 2194 ⟷ COSMOS 873: 7.24 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/21983-9590 (accessed 2026-11-02).