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CriticalProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2453NORAD 35500 · launched Jul 2009Military payload
974mPredicted miss distance
RussiaSL-8 R/BNORAD 6271 · launched Nov 1972Rocket body
Final forecastFinal forecast, made minutes before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 910 m at 25 Oct 15:57 UTC.
Closest approach25 Oct 202615:57 UTC
Relative speed13.75 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,502 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed25 Oct15:52 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2453Track SL-8 R/BAll approaches
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RU COSMOS 2453 and RU SL-8 R/B were predicted to reach a closest approach of 974 m at 2026-10-25 15:57 UTC, at a relative speed of 13.75 km/s. Final forecast, made minutes before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 910 m at 25 Oct 15:57 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 2453Payload
NORAD 35500
CountryCIS
Launched2009-07-06
OrbitLEO · 1,495 × 1,505 km
COSPAR2009-036C
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
SL-8 R/BR/B
NORAD 6271
CountryCIS
Launched1972-11-01
OrbitLEO · 1,466 × 1,593 km
COSPAR1972-087J
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 · 1502 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1502 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 2453 ⟷ SL-8 R/B
2026-10-25 15:57974 m Final forecast13.75 km/s1,502 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
28 Oct 04:43 UTC910 m Best estimate25 Oct 15:57 UTC26 Oct 00:00 UTCBest estimate
24 Oct 16:29 UTC974 m Forecast25 Oct 15:57 UTC24 Oct 05:53 UTCRe-check
24 Oct 16:09 UTC9.65 km Forecast25 Oct 15:57 UTC24 Oct 05:53 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
2.66 km10-31 17:36 UTC
COSMOS 2453COSMOS 1056
2.69 km10-27 21:19 UTC
COSMOS 2453COSMOS 1823 DEB
2.95 km10-25 16:08 UTC
COSMOS 2453SL-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 2453 ⟷ SL-8 R/B: 974 m predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/35500-6271 (accessed 2026-10-31).