The Formula for Orbital Velocity:

* v = √(GM/r)

where:

* v = orbital velocity

* G = gravitational constant

* M = mass of the central body (e.g., Earth)

* r = orbital radius (distance from the satellite to the center of the central body)

Explanation:

As you can see from the formula, the orbital velocity is determined by:

* The mass of the central body (M): A more massive central body will have a stronger gravitational pull, resulting in a higher orbital velocity.

* The orbital radius (r): The closer the satellite is to the central body, the stronger the gravitational pull, leading to a higher orbital velocity.

Mass of the satellite (m) is not a factor in the equation.

Why this makes sense:

Imagine two satellites orbiting Earth, one twice as massive as the other. The heavier satellite experiences a stronger gravitational force from Earth. However, it also has twice the inertia (resistance to change in motion). These two effects perfectly cancel each other out, resulting in the same orbital velocity.

In Summary:

Doubling the mass of a satellite will not change its orbital velocity. The only factors that affect orbital velocity are the mass of the central body and the orbital radius.