Hi folks - Here is the Friday Element Quiz Answer:
The Question:
This element plays no biological role and the world production is less
than 1 ton per year. It has an important use in the space industry and is
a critical part of a late 1990's space mission. It's role on the space
craft could be completed by either mercury or caesium but this element has
several advantages over those two elements. This element has nine
naturally occurring isotopes. What element is being described?
Bonus question: What is the name of the space mission/craft that utilizing
this element in the late 1990s?
The Answer:
The element is Xenon (Xe)! Xenon has a number of commercial lighting
applications (such as strobe lights for high speed photography) but little
other uses. It has also been used as a supercritical fluid for studying
molecules under extreme conditions in research laboratories. Xenon 133 is
generated in nuclear power applications and has a half life of 5 days.
Xenon is the critical element for the Xenon Ion Propulsion System (XIPS).
Both mercury and caesium could be used for ion propulsion but mercury has
handling toxicity issues and caesium is extremely corrosive. And in space,
Xenon freezes into a solid which is advantageous. The Deep Space I probe
(launched in 1998)was the "trial bed" for the XIPS engine. There are now
over 10 satellites and space craft successfully using ion propulsion
systems.
There were many, many correct responses for Xe but Robert Wolfe was the
first response past the firewall and will get the services of Clumpy and
Kloumpios. Robert will need to let me know where he is located and we'll
send the guys on their way. We had only one correct answer for the bonus
question - Graham Naisbitt had the correct answer.
So far Clumpy and Kloumpios have:
Week 1 Lamar Young, SCS Coatings
- accomplished nothing (drank lots of coffee)
Week 2 Bev Christian, RIM
- conducted REACH material testing
Week 3 Drew Meyer, Benchmark Electronics Inc.
- Solderability testing and mowed the lawn
Week 4 Ian Fox, Goodrich
- had an epic journey of travel
Week 4 Gary Ferrari, Garrick Global
- unknown
Week 5 Fredrick Miller, Astrolab
- unknown
Week 6 David Nelson, Raytheon
- Were tackling dummys for Dallas Cowboys
Week 7 Graham Collins, L3 Communications
- Cleaned gutters and painted window trim
Week 8 Bill Noel, ITT Geospatial Systems Division
- unknown
Week 9 Steve Gregory of RD Circuits
- unknown
Week 10 David Bealer of Watchfire Signs
- descaled the in-line wash machine! Ouch!
Week 11 Dick Krug of Sparton Corporation
- assisted with AS9100 quality management systems requirements audit
Week 12 Steve Creswick of Balanced Enterprise Solutions
- Acted as Steve's "go fer" due to a broken leg!
Week 13 Gebhard Neifer, Delphi
- conducted a plasma pre treatment Taguchi DOE for a sealing process
Week 14 Bev Christian, RIM
- assisted with a tin pest investigation/test
Week 15 Bev Christian, RIM
- assisted Bev shoveling snow
Week 16 David Bealer of Watchfire Signs
- assisted with reflow profiling
Week 17 Brian Ellis, rumored to be retired
- assisted with rewiring the house, had a tractor accident and found his
cousin Kloumpios
Week 18 Denny Fritz, SAIC
- assisted with tin whisker inspection/examinations
Week 19 Graham Collins, L3 Communications
- assisted with scraping barnacles, boat paint and boat engine maintenance
Week 20 Mark Woolley, PTRL Laboratory Avaya
- assisted with weather observations (70F to snow) and resolving
electrochemical migration failures
Week 20 Tom Carroll, Boeing Defense, Space and Security
- assisted with commercial aircraft galley inspection
Week 21 Brian Ellis, supposedly retired, and Tom Carroll, Boeing Defense,
Space and Security
- assisted with root cause corrective action tasks
- assisted with nothing but catching up with the family
Week 22 Drew Meyer, Benchmark Electronics Inc.
- assisted with metallographic cross-sections and Dye & Pry testing
Week 23 Bev Christian, RIM
- assisted with a creep corrosion project and the setting up of an oxygen
bomb
Week 24 Steve Gregory, RD Circuits
- unknown
Week 25 Ahne Oosterhof, A-Laser
- assisted with stencil aperture data analysis and split/stacked firewood
Week 26 Scott Post, Delphi
- assisted/participated in the Kokomo Airshow Race Event
Week 27 Brian Ellis, supposedly retired
- assisted with tedious website work and family home cooking
Week 28 Nigel Burtt
- abandoned Nigel and were rumored to be involved in UK News Corps/News
International cellphone/journalism/politics scandal
Week 29 Richard Stadem,GD-AIS
- unknown
Week 30 Robert Wolfe, ???
- assisted with ???
Dave Hillman
Rockwell Collins
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