Not many of the leading US presidential candidates have spent much time campaigning on space policy. If you’re going to talk about research on the campaign trail, it’s much hipper (and plays better in Iowa) to talk about things like cellulosic ethanol.

But yesterday Barack Obama actually brought up NASA – because he wants to delay its moon/Mars exploration program to pay for his new $18 billion education initiative. That would be news to NASA, which is moving full steam ahead on its plans to develop a new manned spaceship to replace the space shuttle.

Obama is edging ahead of his main rival, Hillary Clinton, in the polls in Iowa. For her part, Clinton last month made space exploration a vague-sounding cornerstone of her platform on how she would promote scientific research if elected.

You have to think, though, that space policy is not going to make or break either of these campaigns.