TAGSAM

TAGSAM or Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism is a robotic arm on the OSIRIS-REx space probe for collecting a sample from asteroid 101955 Bennu.[1] OSIRIS-REx was launched in 2016, and arriving at the asteroid in December 2018 with plans to study the asteroid and return samples to Earth by the early 2020s.[1][2]

Illustration of OSIRIS-REx with TAGSAM extended


Overview

TAGSAM is a robotic arm attached to the main body of the spacecraft that collects a sample from the asteroid, and puts the samples into the Earth return vehicle.[3] Bennu is about 500 meters in diameter and has very low gravity, so the arm must perform the collection in near zero gravity, yet still contend with some gravitational forces from the asteroid.[4] One issue with small asteroids is their unique gravitational environment, and Bennu became the smallest body orbited by a spacecraft.[2]

TAGSAM is designed to take up to three samples from the asteroid.[2] The collection head is filled using a nitrogen gas injection that stirs up the regolith.[3] The arm is about 11 feet (3.35 meters) long, and has three joints for articulation on it.[3] SamCam will acquire images of the collection head.[3] Two major parts of TAGSAM are the robotic arm and the sample collection head.[5]

The arm is used in conjunction with several instruments on the spacecraft including three cameras, three spectrometers, and a laser altimeter.[6]

Two identical TAGSAM units were made, one for use on the spacecraft called the flight unit and another for testing on Earth called the qualification unit.[5]

Animation of TAGSAM arm moving

Timeline
TAGSAM head imaged in-flight by OSIRIS-REx's SamCam on November 14, 2018, just after fully extending the arm for the first time and a few weeks before arrival at Bennu
  • October 17, 2018 — TAGSAM head cover jettisoned[3]
  • October 25, 2018 — Frangibolts fired, releasing the TAGSAM arm[3]
  • November 14, 2018 — TAGSAM arm fully extended for the first time[3][7]

See also

References
  1. "OSIRIS-REx Finds Water On Asteroid Bennu - Astrobiology". astrobiology.com. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  2. "Who needs the Guardians of the Galaxy when we have OSIRIS-REx?". SpaceFlight Insider. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  3. Hille, Karl (2018-11-16). "OSIRIS-REx is Prepared to TAG an Asteroid". NASA. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  4. Team, the OSIRIS-REx; Lauretta, D. S.; Beshore, E.; Dworkin, J. P.; May, A. J.; Wood, J. L.; Linn, T. M.; Kuhns, R. M.; Hund, R. A. (2018-10-01). "The OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft and the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM)". Space Science Reviews. 214 (7): 107. doi:10.1007/s11214-018-0521-6. ISSN 1572-9672.
  5. "Development of the OSIRIS-REx Sampling System: TAGSAM and the SRC". dslauretta. 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  6. Gough, Evan (2018-12-11). "OSIRIS-REx Has Already Found Water on Bennu". Universe Today. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
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