This game make me feel a little bit stupid... '^^ I filled the tank 4 times and my distance travelled is always 0, the rocket start, take off then ran out of fuel and go back to the ground. I think I miss something but I don't know what... Otherwise it looks like a good game.
You need to upgrade your rocket after each launch to get further on this screen. It appears after every launch and you can access it by entering the building when on foot. I'm planning on putting a short interactive tutorial for the first level on my next update to make it easier for people playing it.
Thanks for playing, hope this info helps you have a proper try of it next time :)