Is China's mysterious space plane about to return to Earth?

Is China's mysterious space plane about to return to Earth?

The mysterious Chinese spacecraft's most recent orbital mission may be coming to an end. According to astronomer and satellite tracker

the recently released object "may be a service module, possibly indicating an upcoming deorbit burn." McDowell made this statement on Twitter

"Small companion satellites called "Banxing" were previously launched by Chinese crew capsules for surveillance purposes.

if one previous data point is any indication, it will likely signal the mission's impending end. The Chinese spacecraft has completed only one other orbital mission,

Reusable and in-orbit service technology verification will be carried out as planned during the test spacecraft's time in orbit before returning to the planned

The program's sixth-ever mission took off on May 17, 2020, so the X-37B has been in the air for a while now. When the X-37B will land on Earth again is unknown.