The thermal stability of optical antennas is a key parameter determining the performance of satellite optical communication links. The effects of uniform temperature changes on the performance of a Cassegrain optical antenna are discussed. In addition, a simple theoretical model is proposed to describe the defocusing distance and wavefront aberration (power) as a function of temperature. Through the theoretical model, the thermal stability can be quickly assessed in the optical design stage. The alignment data and thermal experimental results are consistent with the theoretical model. © 2018 The Authors.