>>3781078>>3781137NASA needs long tested electronics that are radiation hardened.
That takes time and is expensive, so some of these sensors are relatively ancient, same goes for processors.
Wich is why NASA uses some ancient Kodak sensors and PowerPC processors that use the same design as the one in the Nintendo Wii.
CCD is in most applications inferior to CMOS since CMOS made a huge jump a couple of years ago,
(not going into detail, but essential the higher amount of electronics in the sensor in case of CMOS used to block some of the light wich was an issue, but they solved that by basicly turning the sensor around and illuminating it from the back)
>launch vibrationsThat's not realy much of an issue, most cameras woud survive a launch just fine.
>NikonThat's just NASA not wanting to switch, they have used Nikons for decades.
Also lenses don't go bad as fast as cameras and sending lenses into space makes these rather expensive lenses several times more expensive.
Each kg of payload on the space shuttle used to cost 54500$, now take a large telezoom lens, package it and place it on a scale.
You can see why changing systems has been avoided...
Falcon 9 has gotten the price down by a factor of about 20.
>an SLS launchThat's not going to happen anytime soon, if at all.
