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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tripforyou" data-source="post: 1671866" data-attributes="member: 643045">False.  They are constantly accelerated towards the earth by gravity.  They also have inertia which pushes away from the eath.  In many cases they do get closer and closer, but it's not a guarantee.  The moon, for example, is a natural satellite which is being accelerated towards earth but is getting further away.  It's dependent on the orbit itself; much of the time it's a very thin atmosphere causing friction which ultimately decays the orbit.Centrifugal force used to be the name for the outward push a satellite 'feels' but that name has fallen out of favor because 'centripetal' force sounds similar and is the inward force.  Also centrifugal force technically isn't a force just a manifestation of inertia.</blockquote>