The Register is known to make funny, confusing headlines.

I think I found the definition of rocket that makes sense: "(UK slang, originally military) A severe reprimand; a telling-off. [from 20th c.]."

The decoded headline would be: Texas construction workers tell off SpaceX. Or just Texas construction workers place lien on SpaceX.

I deeply hate the modern trend if "clever" headline writing. A headline with a shitty pun or work joke gets an instant skip from me. Might as well label your media outlet as satire for all I'm going to trust you.

Even after reading the article I'm not sure what the headline means. It seems to be some sort of a debt dispute (unpaid contractors). Is the rocket put up as collateral on the lien? Are the contractors refusing to hand over the physical rocket to SpaceX until they are paid?

Not just you… Seems like it might be a Britishism? I think it’s saying something like “construction workers light up SpaceX”, like say bad things about them?

It is a british phrase. I think the most commmon usage is 'put a rocket up their arse, or 'put a rocket under them; It's similar to 'light a fire under'. It means to suggest getting somebody who has been previously sluggish in acting, to act quicker.

Yeah, definitely a common phrase in the UK, basically the sense is that if you put a (firework) rocket up someone's behind and light it, they're going to move pretty damn fast to rectify the situation before the fuse runs out.

I think it's supposed to be a play on the word "racket." As in, "to put up a racket" or "make a racket" meaning make a bunch of noise.

I agree that it's horrendously written and really forced.

I would guess that I less safe for work domains, putting something (phallic) up is usually followed by a name for an orifice.

And now the idiom makes sense. Thank you!

"They don't like it up 'em" - well-known phrase from the British sitcom 'Dad's Army'.

"put a rocket up" is a completely weird phrase and the author clearly tried really hard to jam some rocket pun into the title but it just doesn't work.

It’s a British website using British idiom. Nothing weird about it at all.

it's the kerosene on the bonfire equivalent of "step on the gas"

i.e. "seriously get SpaceX moving (hopefully at speed) on the issue of unpaid bills"