Question about orbits of satellites.

When I drop an object it progressively gets faster with the distance is falls until it reaches equilibrium with the air resistance acting against it.

If I throw an object within our atmosphere so it fell at the same distance the earth curves, first off it would fall at a low speed meaning the earth would have to have a lot less of a curve other wise it would fly off into space. Eventually it would pick up speed meaning the earth would have to be more curved until it reached it’s final velocity when the force against against it with wind resistance so it could fall around the earth at a rate that the earth curves.

But with no wind resistance in space don’t satellite just keep speeding up as they fall around the earth? Of course they don’t but I want to understand why my way of thinking is wrong.