It's easy to lose track of your orbital layer and only pop in when you really need something. "This miasma is annoying me. Oh, I can build a Repulsor for that." Sure, that's fine and all, but you're not taking enough advantage of orbitals if you play that way. You really should devote one of your secondary cities toward orbital creation once you get a bit further into the game and have better Technology. The bonuses to your yields from most orbitals are nifty, and not all of the orbitals even have strategic resource requirements.
Throw out orbitals as often as you can. Defend your borders when enemies start to gather. Don't wait for war. Deploy satellites as soon as you see a force building. It's your friendly way of saying, "I see you, and your very flammable army."
Because orbitals haven't been a part of Civilization before now, old veterans are going to be some of the worst neglectors when it comes to these units. Force yourself to play with them, and you won't regret it once the habit forms. These little toys are game changers if you know what you're doing. Big bonuses are just a few turns of work away.