Japan spacecraft carrying asteroid soil samples nears home

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 is nearing Earth after a year-long journey home (ISAS/JAXA via AP)

A Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a year-long journey home from a distant asteroid with soil samples and data that could provide clues to the origins of the solar system, a space agency official said.

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million kilometres (180 million miles) from Earth, a year ago and is expected to reach Earth and drop a capsule containing the precious samples in southern Australia on December 6.