Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2216 ⟷ ARIANE 42P R/B
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2216NORAD 22187 · launched Oct 1992Military payload
6.05kmPredicted miss distance
FranceARIANE 42P R/BNORAD 22079 · launched Aug 1992Rocket body
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 8 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.05 km at 21 Oct 05:00 UTC.
Closest approach21 Oct 202605:00 UTC
Relative speed13.04 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,404 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed21 Oct04:52 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2216Track ARIANE 42P R/BAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2216 and FR ARIANE 42P R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 6.05 km at 2026-10-21 05:00 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.04 km/s. Final forecast, made 8 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 6.05 km at 21 Oct 05:00 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 2216Payload
NORAD 22187
CountryCIS
Launched1992-10-20
OrbitLEO · 1,409 × 1,416 km
COSPAR1992-068F
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
ARIANE 42P R/BR/B
NORAD 22079
CountryFR
Launched1992-08-10
OrbitLEO · 1,291 × 1,408 km
COSPAR1992-052D
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 · 1404 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1404 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 2216 ⟷ ARIANE 42P R/B
2026-10-21 05:006.05 km Final forecast13.04 km/s1,404 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 05:16 UTC6.05 km Best estimate21 Oct 05:00 UTC21 Oct 06:41 UTCBest estimate
21 Oct 03:52 UTC6.05 km Forecast21 Oct 05:00 UTC20 Oct 20:42 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 15:22 UTC6.11 km Forecast21 Oct 05:00 UTC20 Oct 06:16 UTCRe-check
20 Oct 15:02 UTC7.16 km Forecast21 Oct 05:00 UTC20 Oct 06:16 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
4.60 km10-25 09:34 UTC
COSMOS 2211COSMOS 2216
7.61 km10-24 21:13 UTC
COSMOS 2216COSMOS 2302
7.83 km10-25 06:42 UTC
COSMOS 2094COSMOS 2216

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 2216 ⟷ ARIANE 42P R/B: 6.05 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/22079-22187 (accessed 2026-10-26).