Pretty sure FDEV didn't remove the ADS to appease (or spite) anyone in particular, but as part of a coordinated effort to re-create the exploration mechanics.
I can't be sure about the technical details without access to the source code, but from what I can understand about the quality of the codebase for ED (from casual observation combined with my Computer Science background), it would probably not be a trivial effort to re-introduce the removed modules without potentially breaking other things.
You can't be sure about any of your arguments da_wae, you have no evidence to back up any numbers. But we can all easily infer simply from playing the game that the old ADS did things the new one does not and that there is an ongoing demand for that, that it does not interfere with any operation of the new discovery process beyond newly created lore justification, and that ultimately, there was no need to remove them.
The old modules, had they been retained in the game would continue to be optional equipment that provides a service at a cost. No downside.
The full functionality of the ADS has been retained in the game, just visit any new to you but already explored by someone else system and you will see the same sysmap populated with [unexplored] bodies.
Any player that continued to use the ADS (say) would be able to scan a body either by targeting it & going closer as before, or with the FSS scanner screen so they would be motivated to learn how to use the FSS anyway, it's a time saver and money earner.
Most players would naturally transition to dumping the ADS, but those that prefer the old way or just want to use both as they can in the bubble, can do.
No downside, no dev time wasted pointlessly removing existing gameplay, no more customers annoyed than necessary.
Removing the old modules was a pointless waste of time, it made no business sense, the game is not better in any way for their removal, no sales were generated by removing them, no sales would have been lost if they had remained.
So they need to be put back in, as soon as possible. Yes that wastes even more time, that it a shame but it will be easy to put them back in because unlike a bug there is no investigation required, the code is still there, the modules & rules for virgin system discovery just need to be put back to the way they were before 3.3.