So at the end of each Shuttle mission, when the crew applies thrust against the direction of motion to slow down in orbit, it's really not deorbiting at all? Hundreds of astronauts must be accumulating on some secret base on the Moon.
And yes, I could have worded it differently upon retrospect. You do know an orbiting body has a slower velocity with a higher altitude? And indeed that requires a Delta-V (for a satellite) to accomplish that feat. Often a Hohmann transfer orbit.