Of course all satellites in the sky, with exception of the ISS, are completely invisible to the observer. It is a myth that satellites viably streak across the night sky. The satellite signals you know could actually originate from a number of different sources. GPS towers and stratospheric airships, for example.
Another alternative worthy of investigation is the is strong possibility of satellites skipping across the surface of the atmosphere like skipping stones over the surface of standing water.
In order for this to work - as the satellite hits the atmosphere it must be tilted up somewhat or at least the front edge must be beveled. Otherwise, it can dig its way into the atmosphere, ending its skipping career. Then when the satellite strikes the upper air, it pushes the air down. By Newton's Third Law (For every force there is an equal and opposite reaction force) the air exerts an upward and slightly backward force on the satellite. The upward force pushes the satellite back up into space and the backward force slows the satellite, hopefully slightly.
And if the satellite is given a strong spin it can, like a gyroscope, better keep and maintain its orientation.