India's First Nuclear Reactor was Apsara. It was also
the first nuclear reactor in Asia. Apsara went critical at Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre (BARC), Trombay on August 4, 1956. It heralded the
arrival of India's nuclear energy programme. Dr. Homi Bhabha himself
conceptualised the design of the reactor and the reactor was built
entirely by Indian engineers in a record time of about 15 months.
Apsara is a swimming-pool-type reactor loaded with enriched uranium as
fuel. The fuel core is suspended from a movable trolley in a pool filled
with water. The pool water serves as coolant, moderator and reflector,
besides providing the shielding.
