Orbits in LEO are nearly circular. By giving a fragment a single instantaneous change in velocity, you change that orbit to an ellipse, which could have a highe

Orbits in LEO are nearly circular. By giving a fragment a single instantaneous change in velocity, you change that orbit to an ellipse, which could have a higher apogee, but will always return to the initial altitude. To turn that ellipse into a circle with a larger radius than the LEO orbit, you need an additional maneuver when it is at that larger radius.