This thesis focuses on the thermal modeling of the Langmuir instrument developed by the Royal Institute of Technology for the Research and Observation in Medium Earth Orbit (ROMEO) satellite. The ROMEO satellite is part of the University of Stuttgart’s small satellite program, developed to test cost-efficient space technologies in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The deployable Langmuir probes measure the thermal plasma environment and its interaction with the satellite’s water propulsion system. Using the well-established tool for spacecraft thermal analysis, Systema-Thermica, the project aims to study the thermal behaviour of the instrument, ensuring optimal performance during its lifetime in the harsh conditions of space. To achieve this, a simplified model of the ROMEO satellite, derived from the complete version provided by the University of Stuttgart, was developed. The simplification focuses the analysis on the Langmuir Probe instrument by removing unnecessary components, thereby significantly reducing computational time. The purpose of this study is to validate the adopted approach and assumptions, with simulations performed under worst-case thermal scenarios. Simulation results show that, under worst-case hot conditions, the instrument remains within operational temperature limits, while in the cold case, the booms and probes fall below the minimum threshold, highlighting the need for further investigation or thermal control measures. Moreover, the results from the simplified model were found to be in good agreement with those obtained using the full satellite model, supporting the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Giuditta Marvulli (Wed,) studied this question.