LOW EARTH ORBIT — After an extended, and some would say, 'overstayed' visit, Japan's HTV-X cargo spacecraft has at last departed the International Space Station. The module, which arrived four months ago with supplies and an apparent lack of a return itinerary, had become a source of quiet tension among the international crew.

“It’s not that we didn’t appreciate the fresh towels and the new science experiments,” explained NASA astronaut Commander Brenda Kincaid, speaking via secure comms. “It’s just… four months? We started to wonder if it was ever going to leave. We even left subtle hints, like accidentally blocking its thrusters with a spare solar panel, but nothing seemed to work.”

Sources close to the ISS mission control in Houston suggest the delay was due to a 'misunderstanding of orbital parking permit regulations' and a 'deeply held cultural aversion to asking for directions.' JAXA officials, however, maintained the extended stay was a 'critical phase of integration testing' and not, as one anonymous cosmonaut suggested, because 'they kept losing the keys to the departure hatch.'

The HTV-X is now on a trajectory to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, where it will safely burn up. Astronauts are reportedly already planning a 'deep clean' of the docking port and considering implementing a strict 'two-week maximum stay' policy for all future cargo deliveries.