▁their ▁real ▁work ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁immediately ▁apparent . ▁That ▁year , ▁the ▁DR DL ▁began ▁to ▁expand ▁rapidly , ▁increasing ▁its ▁work force ▁from ▁ 4 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁people ▁over ▁a ▁two - year ▁period ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁meet ▁staff ing ▁needs ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁V ali ant ▁and ▁Dev il ▁projects . ▁ ▁The ▁V ali ant ▁miss ile ▁was ▁anticip ated ▁to ▁we igh ▁ 8 5 ▁tons ▁and ▁to ▁use ▁three ▁liquid ▁fuel ▁stages . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁the ▁lab ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁design ing ▁and ▁developing ▁various ▁components ▁for ▁the ▁V ali ant , ▁and ▁the ▁project ▁reached ▁the ▁phase ▁of ▁ground ▁testing ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁However , ▁internal ▁disput es ▁dis rupted ▁the ▁DR DL , ▁as ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁V ali ant ▁project ▁believed ▁the ▁DR DL ' s ▁director ▁was ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁inv ested ▁in ▁Project ▁Dev il , ▁and ▁external ▁interest ▁in ▁both ▁programs ▁w an ed . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁the ▁Union ▁Cab inet ▁asked ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁DR DL ▁to ▁evaluate ▁whether ▁civil ian ▁uses ▁could ▁be ▁found ▁at ▁the ▁Indian ▁Space ▁Research ▁Organ ization ▁( IS RO ) ▁for ▁V ali ant ' s ▁liquid - f uel ▁engine . ▁The ▁IS RO ▁decl ined , ▁and ▁since ▁the ▁V ali ant ▁project ▁was ▁not ▁progress ing ▁satisf actor ily ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not