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Subject:
From:
"David D. Hillman" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Date:
Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:01:37 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (161 lines)
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
[log in to unmask]

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