1. Gravity: This is the primary force responsible for keeping an object in orbit. It's the force of attraction between any two objects with mass. In the case of an object in orbit, the gravity of the larger body (like a planet or star) pulls the orbiting object towards itself.

2. Inertia: This is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. An orbiting object wants to continue moving in a straight line (due to inertia), but gravity constantly pulls it towards the larger body, causing it to curve its path into an orbit.

The combination of these two forces - gravity pulling the object towards the center and inertia keeping it moving forward - results in the object's circular or elliptical path around the larger body.