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The ASI (Italian Space Agency) AGILE satellite has been launched on April, 23rd 2007 by a PSLV rocket from Shrikariota spaceport, in India. Its payload, called AGILE as well (for Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero) is an instrument for near-earth space research: its scientific instrumentation has optimal imaging capabilities in both the gamma-ray energy range (30 MeV - 30 GeV) and hard X-ray range (15 - 45 keV). It will study all the phenomena occurring in the high energy spectrum, such as: Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma Ray Bursts, Gamma-ray Galactic Diffuse Emission, and more. The first 10 months in orbit are reviewed, in light of the thermal control system performance compared with the numerical and experimental predictions.

This paper reports on the thermal testing of AGILE (Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero) satellite flight model, conducted in June/July 2006 at IABG test facility. The paper describe the satellite mission, the logic for the selection of the test configuration, the test set-up and the test phases. The test results are presented and test-model (of the scientific instruments) correlation analysis between measured and calculated are discussed.

The satellite AGILE (Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero, “Light Gamma Ray Imaging Detector”) is a promising instrument for near-earth space research of the Italian Space(ASI) during the years 2007-2009: its scientific instrumentation has optimal imaging capabilities in both the gamma-ray energy range (30 MeV - 30 GeV) and hard X-ray range (15 - 45 keV). It will study the phenomena occurring in the high energy spectrum, such as: Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma Ray Bursts, Gamma-ray Galactic Diffuse Emission, and more. The satellite was designed and built in years 2004-2006; this paper describes the design of the thermal control system of the satellite, with a survey of the flight prediction. As an example of uncertainty reduction, MLI performance characterization by test was done in an early phase of the AIV phase (i.e. well before the system level test), to meet stringent payload requirements in terms of temperature gradients and temperature stability.