Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2272 ⟷ OPS 2644 DEB
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RussiaCOSMOS 2272NORAD 23003 · launched Feb 1994Military payload
8.10kmPredicted miss distance
United StatesOPS 2644 DEBNORAD 3840 · launched Feb 1969Debris
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 18 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 7.97 km at 26 Oct 15:45 UTC.
Closest approach26 Oct 202615:45 UTC
Relative speed2.27 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,409 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed26 Oct15:27 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2272Track OPS 2644 DEBAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2272 and US OPS 2644 DEB were predicted to reach a closest approach of 8.10 km at 2026-10-26 15:45 UTC, at a relative speed of 2.27 km/s. Final forecast, made 18 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 7.97 km at 26 Oct 15:45 UTC. This is a cross-border encounter between objects of different nations. 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 2272Payload
NORAD 23003
CountryCIS
Launched1994-02-12
OrbitLEO · 1,396 × 1,414 km
COSPAR1994-011E
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
OPS 2644 DEBDebris
NORAD 3840
CountryUS
Launched1969-02-05
OrbitLEO · 1,403 × 1,454 km
COSPAR1969-010C
Maneuver capableNo
Uncontrolled debris fragment tracked by the public catalogue. About space debris →
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1409 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1409 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

2 predicted passes under 10 km
Pair history · COSMOS 2272 ⟷ OPS 2644 DEB
2026-11-13 05:214.24 km Live forecast1.93 km/s1,415 kmView →
2026-10-26 15:458.10 km Final forecast · after: 7.97 km2.27 km/s1,409 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
30 Oct 00:31 UTC7.97 km Best estimate26 Oct 15:45 UTC26 Oct 23:47 UTCBest estimate
26 Oct 09:03 UTC8.10 km Forecast26 Oct 15:45 UTC25 Oct 17:24 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 19:21 UTC8.04 km Forecast26 Oct 15:45 UTC24 Oct 05:53 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 19:01 UTC8.36 km Forecast26 Oct 15:45 UTC24 Oct 05:53 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.63 km11-12 14:02 UTC
COSMOS 2272COSMOS 623
2.48 km11-10 09:31 UTC
COSMOS 2272COSMOS 1617
2.75 km11-08 09:28 UTC
COSMOS 2247COSMOS 2272

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 →