# How to decrease satellite's orbital radius?

According to the equation $$v²=GM/r$$ to decrease the orbital radius of a satellite currently in orbit, you'd want to increase its speed. However intuitively this doesn't make sense to me, surely if you decreased the speed (e.g. by ejecting a mass in the direction of movement) the resultant force would cause the satellite's path to curve inwards? Please someone explain this to me. I'd like to know the practical way of decreasing the orbit and the intuition behind why it works.

• See my answer on physics.stackexchange.com/q/480904 – Alex Trounev Nov 1 '19 at 9:10
• – PM 2Ring Nov 1 '19 at 9:15
• Have you estimated how much energy and angular momentum you need to shed to decrease the radius from and to your circular orbits? The WP article in @PM_2Ring 's comment does that, effectively. – Cosmas Zachos Nov 1 '19 at 16:38
• – Pulsar Nov 2 '19 at 21:42

Suppose a satellite is in a circular orbit at some altitude $$h$$ and is supposed to change its orbit to a circular orbit of $$h-\Delta h$$, where $$\Delta h$$ is positive. The orbital velocity will necessarily increase.