As the height of a satellite's orbit above the earth's surface increases, how does its critical (orbital) velocity change?

1. The critical velocity is given by $v_c = \sqrt{\dfrac{GM}{R+h}}$. 2. As the height $h$ increases, the orbital radius $R+h$ increases. 3. Since $R+h$ is in the denominator under the square root, a larger value makes $v_c$ smaller. 4. Therefore the critical velocity decreases as orbit height increases. _Source: Balbharati (Maharashtra Board) Class 10 Science & Technology, Ch 10 "Space Missions", p.147_