Nikon cameras use special firmware for NASA use

According to PetaPixel , astronaut Don Pettit revealed the changes Nikon made to its software for NASA. Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that can damage sensors and thus ruin images. That's why Nikon created special software for NASA to limit the damage.

Don Pettit says Nikon changed the noise reduction settings in the camera to counteract cosmic rays. Conventional cameras have noise reduction for exposures longer than a second. Manufacturers don’t think photographers need to reduce noise for shorter exposures because there’s no noise to reduce. But in space, that’s not true.

NASA has long trusted Nikon brand cameras in extraterrestrial environments.

Pettit says that cameras in space suffered from sensor damage from cosmic rays, and after about six months, NASA astronauts had to replace the damaged cameras. The rays were present even at fast shutter speeds, so NASA asked Nikon to change its algorithms to reduce noise in the camera at shutter speeds up to 1/500th of a second.

This has helped to eliminate the effects of cosmic rays, and that’s not the only feature that the special firmware Nikon created for NASA does. The next change is to the camera’s naming system. Normally, when enough photos are taken, the camera will rename the last file. NASA takes a lot of photos in orbit, so Nikon changed the way the RAW files are numbered so that no two photos have the same number.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/may-anh-nikon-dung-firmware-dac-biet-de-nasa-su-dung-185231213145614132.htm