Home›Maneuver Tracker›Close Approaches›COSMOS 2491 ⟷ COSMOS 767
HighProximity
RussiaCOSMOS 2491NORAD 39497 · launched Dec 2013Military payload
2.59kmPredicted miss distance
RussiaCOSMOS 767NORAD 8291 · launched Sep 1975Military payload
Final forecastFinal forecast, made 10 min before the pass.
After the passBest estimate, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.58 km at 26 Oct 10:17 UTC.
Closest approach26 Oct 202610:17 UTC
Relative speed10.89 km/sat the closest approach
Altitude1,478 kmlow Earth orbit
Last confirmed26 Oct10:06 UTC · final forecast
Track COSMOS 2491Track COSMOS 767All approaches
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RU COSMOS 2491 and RU COSMOS 767 were predicted to reach a closest approach of 2.59 km at 2026-10-26 10:17 UTC, at a relative speed of 10.89 km/s. Final forecast, made 10 min before the pass. Best estimate after the pass, from the orbit data published nearest its time: 2.58 km at 26 Oct 10:17 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 × 1,503 km
COSPAR2013-076E
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →
COSMOS 767Payload
NORAD 8291
CountryCIS
Launched1975-09-17
OrbitLEO · 1,455 × 1,487 km
COSPAR1975-086G
Maneuver capableUnknown
Profile →Globe →

Where This Happens

Altitude context
DEBRIS BELT 700–1000 KM2006001,0001,5002,000 kmTHIS PASS · 1478 KMISS 420Starlink 550

At 1478 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 2491 ⟷ COSMOS 767
2026-10-26 10:172.59 km Final forecast10.89 km/s1,478 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
29 Oct 15:11 UTC2.58 km Best estimate26 Oct 10:17 UTC26 Oct 05:50 UTCBest estimate
26 Oct 09:03 UTC2.59 km Forecast26 Oct 10:17 UTC25 Oct 22:22 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 16:13 UTC2.62 km Forecast26 Oct 10:17 UTC24 Oct 07:30 UTCRe-check
25 Oct 15:52 UTC4.10 km Forecast26 Oct 10:17 UTC24 Oct 07:30 UTCScreen

These Objects Elsewhere

Other screened approaches · 7 days
4.01 km10-29 09:28 UTC
COSMOS 2408COSMOS 767
4.03 km10-26 02:46 UTC
COSMOS 2491COSMOS 642
6.94 km10-27 05:46 UTC
COSMOS 2491SL-8 R/B

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 ⟷ COSMOS 767: 2.59 km predicted close approach”, https://orbitalradar.com/conjunction/39497-8291 (accessed 2026-11-01).