what is the name of the tool used by astronauts to collect samples of rock

The tool used by astronauts to collect samples of rock during the Apollo missions was a set of tongs. The tongs consisted of a set of opposing spring-loaded fingers attached to a handle and were used for picking up samples. The stiffness of the Apollo space suit made bending over difficult, so tongs were provided to aid in picking up rocks and soil. The tongs were designed with large-diameter, textured grips to accommodate the reduced dexterity of the astronauts gloves. The tongs were used to collect rocks that were fist-sized or smaller.