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Abill governing Indonesia’s space policy is set to be submitted to the House of Representatives soon, more than a decade after it was first conceived.

Thomas Djamaluddin, the deputy head of science, assessment and aerospace information at the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan), said on Friday that the draft bill was close to completion.

He said the need for legislation on what types of objects were allowed into orbit, how to manage launches and other space issues was growing more urgent.

“Outer space belongs to mankind, but there are always interests associated with it,” he said. “Whether for commercial purposes, defense or science, we believe we need to set up regulations on it.”

He added that Lapan was concerned about the risks inherent in space activities as well as the costs. He also said a key concern was ensuring that space endeavors did not pose a threat to humans, such as sending space-based weapons into orbit.

The bill, Thomas went on, regulates matters on space development and technology. He said the legislation had two functions: To set long-term goals for the country’s space interests and to protect the people.

“We should understand that there are some risks,” he said. “For instance, a rocket can easily be turned into a weapon by changing its payload. So we believe it’s necessary to require people to get permission before conducting any launches.”

Under the bill, people will also have to report any research on space if it is deemed pertinent to national security and public safety. It also bans the launch into orbit or operation of nuclear devices or weapons of mass destruction.

Thomas said the bill was in response to similar legislation already put into place by countries such as the United States, Japan and European states.

“They’ve already regulated their space activities,” he said.

Lapan began drafting the space bill in early 2000 to serve as the basic framework for the institute’s space interests.

However, it was only this year when all the stakeholders involved in the process, including the National Coordinating Agency for Surveys and Mapping, finally moved to complete it.

Lapan, through the Ministry of Research and Technology, will seek the president’s approval of the draft before submitting it to the House for deliberation and eventual passage.

However, Ignatius Mulyono, chairman of the House Legislation Body, said the bill may not be debated until 2013 at the earliest due to a backlog of legislation.

“We’re prioritizing the urgent bills,” he said.