How could a country benefit from making it into space?

space exploration pays off in goods, technology, and paychecks. The work is done by people who are paid to do it here on Earth. The money they receive helps them buy food, get homes, cars, and clothing. They pay taxes in their communities, which helps keep schools going, roads paved, and other services that benefit a town or city. The money may be spent to send things "up there", but it gets spent "down here." It spreads out into the economy.

A major supply route that divided the South.

Explanation:

During the American Civil War both the Confederacy and the Union fought battles to control the Mississippi river which in effect divided the South.

For the Confederacy, the river was needed to keep up the war effort as manpower and materials needed by the states to the East to survive and fight were usually situated in the west of the river in Texas, Arkansas and Western Louisiana.

For the Union, they needed control of the River to isolate the Eastern Confederacy who were reliant on the west and defeat them.

They also wanted to set up Navel bases where they could land armies and attack the Confederacy with ease. They finally wrestled control of this river from the Confederates on July 4, 1863 when Vicksburg fell to the Union.