The INTEGRAL (International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) program is an ESA observatory scientific satellite to be used for gamma ray astronomy, while ARTEMIS (Advanced Data Relay and Technology Mission) is an ESA program to be used for data relay and technology demonstration.
ARTEMIS was launched on the 12th of July 2001 with an Ariane V launcher from CSG, after successful completion of the System Environmental test campaign at ESTEC including Solar Simulation Thermal Balance tests on PFM (1998).
INTEGRAL has been successfully launched on the 17th of October 2002 with a Proton launcher from Baikonour Cosmodrome, after completion of the System Environmental test campaign at ESTEC including Solar Simulation Thermal Balance tests on STM (1998) and PFM (2002).
Alenia Spazio, who had the role of Prime Contractor for both programs at Torino and Rome premises respectively for Integral and Artemis, was fully responsible of the Thermal Control of the satellites and the relevant verification aspects.
Purpose of the paper is to present the common trend and the peculiarities of the evolution of thermal analysis techniques with special care to the temperature predictions uncertainty determination, test analysis (predictions and correlation), flight correlation analysis and on orbit data evaluation.