Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2491 ⟷ GONETS-M 24
MediumProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2491NORAD 39497 · launched Dec 2013Military payload
5.94kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaGONETS-M 24NORAD 54151 · launched Oct 2022Payload
Live forecastConfirmed by the latest screening, 21 Oct 17:31 UTC.
Closest approach22 Oct 202607:12 UTC
Relative speed14.09 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,506 kmlow Earth orbit
Separation now—live
Track COSMOS 2491Track GONETS-M 24All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2491 and RU GONETS-M 24 are predicted to reach a closest approach of 5.94 km at 2026-10-22 07:12 UTC, at a relative speed of 14.09 km/s. Confirmed by the latest screening, 21 Oct 17:31 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 2491Payload
NORAD 39497
CountryCIS
Launched2013-12-25
OrbitLEO · 1,481 × 1,502 km
COSPAR2013-076E
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
GONETS-M 24Payload
NORAD 54151
CountryCIS
Launched2022-10-22
OrbitLEO · 1,482 × 1,507 km
COSPAR2022-139B
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1506 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1506 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 2491 ⟷ GONETS-M 24
2026-10-22 12:027.05 km Live forecast14.13 km/s1,486 kmView →
2026-10-22 07:125.94 km Live forecast14.09 km/s1,506 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 Nothing is overwritten: a withdrawn forecast keeps its figure, with the newer check beside it, and the best estimate after the pass is a row of its own.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
21 Oct 13:50 UTC5.94 km Forecast22 Oct 07:12 UTC21 Oct 07:02 UTCRe-check
21 Oct 13:30 UTC6.56 km Forecast22 Oct 07:12 UTC21 Oct 07:02 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
1.59 km10-22 05:56 UTC
COSMOS 2491DELTA 1 DEB
1.75 km10-22 11:58 UTC
COSMOS 2491GONETS M 06
3.07 km10-22 12:56 UTC
COSMOS 2491GONETS M 06

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 2491 ⟷ GONETS-M 24: 5.94 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/39497-54151 (accessed 2026-10-21).