Chennai: The success of the Mars mission “underscores the country’s technological capability in the space sector”, said a senior nuclear scientist on Wednesday.

India on Wednesday made history by becoming the first country in the world to enter the Martian orbit in its maiden attempt.

“The nation must celebrate this achievement. The success of this Mars mission just underscores the country’s technological capability in the space sector,” Anil Kakodkar, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and now a member, told IANS.

However, he does not considers that India’s success in the space sector will add pressure on the country’s nuclear establishment in delivering as per promises made.

“There is no competition between the two sectors (space and atomic energy). And there is no pressure on the atomic power sector owing to the success achieved by the Indian space scientists,” Kakodkar said.

According to him, the Indian atomic energy establishment is achieving success in its own sphere of activity.

“The 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) is around the corner. It will demonstrate the huge technological feat of India in the nuclear power sector. There is also good progress in the advanced heavy water reactor project,” he said.

The indigenously designed PFBR is expected to go on stream next year at Kalpakkam near here.

According to him, addition of nuclear power generation capacity through international collaboration would happen once the foreign suppliers understand the Indian law on nuclear liability issue.
However, suspense still continues about the starting power generation on commercial basis at the first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP).

India’s atomic power plant operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is setting up two 1,000 MW Russian reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, 650 km from here. The total outlay for the project is over Rs.17,000 crore.

The KNPP is India’s first pressurised water reactor belonging to the light water reactor category.

The first unit attained criticality July 2013, which is the beginning of the fission process.