China's second unmanned lunar probe, Chang'e 2, has successfully completed its second braking at perilune on Friday, which decelerated the satellite and allowed it to enter a 3.5-hour orbit, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

Chang'e 2, following instructions from the center, started the second braking at 10:45 a.m. and entered the 3.5-hour elliptical moon orbit 17 minutes later, said Ma Yongping, vice director of the BACC.

The second braking was to decelerate the satellite to prepare it for the final braking and its entering the designed 118-minute working orbit, Ma said.

The satellite completed its first braking on Wednesday and will make its third braking on Saturday.

Long March 3C carrier rocket took Chang'e 2 into space blasting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, on October 1.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2010)