Widely regarded as the research center for aliens and UFOs in popular culture and conspiracy theories, Area 51 is a mystery. Despite the theories, there’s little published evidence to prove Area 51 has extraterrestrial ties. What we know to be true (declassified documents have proven it) is Area 51’s role as a development and testing zone for some of America’s most famous spy planes. Come find out more and delve into Area 51’s secrets with these 10 Demystifying Facts about Area 51 the Government Probably Doesn’t Want You To Know.
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How Area 51 got its name
Area 51’s name came from its map designation when it was added as the fifty-first area of the Atomic Energy Commission’s Nevada Proving Ground (where they tested atomic bombs).
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Secretly acquired Soviet fighter jets
Area 51 boasted a number of secretly-acquired Soviet MiG fighter jets from which engineers designed planes to counteract the fighters’ strengths. The codename for the first project was HAVE DOUGHNUT.
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Area 51’s most recent spy plane
The RQ-170 Sentinel, also known as the Beast of Kandahar, is a stealth drone said to be developed at Area 51. It was rumoured to be a major factor in intelligence gathering and ultimately in finding Osama Bin Laden.
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Fake lunar landing
Some conspiracy theorists believe the lunar landing was staged at Area 51 since astronauts tested lunar rovers and life support systems at the atomic testing grounds next door.
Some conspiracy theorists believe the lunar landing was staged at Area 51 since astronauts tested lunar rovers and life support systems at the atomic testing grounds next door.
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Pre-emptive spying
Worried about Russian spying, the U.S. military used a CORONA reconnaissance satellite to photograph Area 51 from space. The picture was analysed to determine how much information the Soviets could infer about the facility if they photographed it with Sputnik 13.
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An un-hackable system
One of the biggest reasons so little information about Area 51 has been leaked is that it was never (or most areas of it were never) connected to the internet. Thus, outside hackers can’t get into its system.
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Area 51’s original purpose
The area chosen for Area 51 was formerly a gunnery range for Army Air Corps pilots during World War II.
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another secret spy plane
The A-12 OXCART was a CIA spy plane developed by Lockheed Corporation (the predecessor to Lockheed Martin) and primarily flown out of Area 51. Flying at speeds up to 2,200 mph (3,500 kph), it took the A-12 plane 186 miles (300 km) to make a U-turn.
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Great Britain’s Area 51
Since Great Britain doesn’t have as much free and open space as the U.S., it’s believed the Brits and Americans have been working together on stealth technology since at least the 1980’s.
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The Soviets gave away secrets
By not classifying the work of Russian theoretical physicist and electrical engineer Petr Ufimtsev, the Soviet Union unwittingly gave the U.S. an advantage when American scientists at Area 51 found the “Rosetta Stone breakthrough for stealth technology” in Ufimtsev’s work.
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