Abstract: To improve the temperature control stability of space cameras to ensure imaging quality, an adaptive proportional-integral-derivative(PID) control method based on a space optical mechanical thermal model is proposed. The design of the controller starts from the thermal balance equation of the space optical machinery and can correct the thermal model of the optical machinery in real time according to the temperature of the optical machinery and its radiating heat exchange object. Then, the parameters of the PID controller are corrected in real time using the pole assignment method, and the heating duty cycle of the temperature control period is finally determined. In this study, by establishing an abstract thermal model of space optical machinery and applying the above self-adaptive PID control method and PID control method with fixed parameters, the effect of temperature control is compared by simulation and experiment. The experimental results show that the adaptive PID controller always maintains the best dynamic response to the temperature fluctuation caused by environmental disturbance, and the temperature control stability is better than ±0.1 K; thus, the controller has better temperature control stability and environmental adaptability.