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Unveiling Area 51: From UFO Lore to Cold War Secrets
Area 51, the enigmatic Nevada test facility, has long fueled speculation regarding UFO sightings and extraterrestrial phenomena. For decades, whispers of concealed alien technology and clandestine experiments behind its guarded fences have contributed to its mystique.
The Genesis of Area 51
Established in 1955, the base’s existence remained largely obscure until 1989, when Robert Lazar asserted on television his involvement at a clandestine site near Groom Lake, designated ‘S-4.’ He claimed to be analyzing alien technology and spacecraft.
Official Acknowledgment and Declassified Documents
Despite the secrecy surrounding the U.S. Air Force installation, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) declassified a comprehensive report exceeding 400 pages in 2013, formally acknowledging Area 51’s existence.
The disclosed documents revealed that the testing of classified spy planes accounted for a significant portion of reported UFO sightings during the Cold War era.
U-2 Spy Planes and the Rise in UFO Reports
During the Cold War, the U-2 spy plane and the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft operated in the shadows of the desert. Their exceptionally high-altitude flights sparked considerable apprehension about a potential alien incursion.
According to the report, unprecedented numbers of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports coincided with the high-altitude testing of the U-2 aircraft. Air traffic controllers were inundated with such reports as the U-2s began operating at altitudes exceeding 60,000 feet.
However, the CIA report concludes its account of Area 51’s activities in 1974.
Resurfaced Documents and Public Reaction
Although declassified in 2013, the CIA documents have recently gained renewed attention on social media platform X. A user commented, “The mystery has been solved!”
Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request in 2005, these documents provide insights into the establishment of Area 51, officially known as the Groom Lake test facility or ‘the Ranch.’
The Early Days of the Groom Lake Facility
Area 51 was established in April 1955, after reconnaissance flights over the Mojave Desert identified the area as suitable. By July 1955, the Groom Lake facility was operational, although still in its rudimentary stages. The facility consisted of:
- A 5,000-foot asphalt runway
- Accommodations for approximately 150 personnel
- A mess hall
- Water wells
- Fuel storage tanks
- Limited hangar and workshop space
The first aircraft arrived on July 25, 1955, with trials commencing two days later. The inaugural documented test flight occurred on August 4, 1955.
The primary objective was to execute Project AQUATONE, the CIA’s initiative to develop the Lockheed U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
The U-2’s Mission
The U-2 served as a high-altitude, long-range surveillance platform targeting the Soviet Union. This was implemented to address critical intelligence deficiencies during the Cold War era.
The CIA report indicates that UFO sightings near Area 51 frequently occurred during the early evening hours and were reported by airline pilots flying east to west.
The document explains that if a U-2 was airborne in the vicinity of the airliner at that time, the U-2’s horizon was significantly more distant, and it was still illuminated by sunlight. When a U-2 pilot executed a turn, sunlight reflecting off the aircraft’s silver wings could create a series of glints or flashes. These optical effects caused airliner pilots to report observing a luminous object high above them.
To further maintain the base’s secrecy, the CIA transported personnel assigned to the test site from the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California, every Monday morning, returning them on Friday evenings, to minimize public awareness of the base’s existence.
The OXCART Program and A-12 Reconnaissance Plane
The OXCART program, which developed the A-12 reconnaissance plane, initiated flights in September 1960.
The Lockheed A-12 was designed for high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance missions, particularly over areas deemed ‘denied’ or politically sensitive.
The CIA operated this aircraft for five years, conducting operational missions over Southeast Asia, before it was retired in 1969 and placed in storage at Palmdale, California.
In early 1962, CIA officials expressed concerns that the Soviet Union might discover the OXCART program through aerial surveillance. Consequently, the CIA assessed the site’s visibility using its own reconnaissance assets, tasking a U-2 and later a CORONA reconnaissance satellite to photograph Groom Lake.
However, in 1974, Skylab astronauts inadvertently photographed the Groom Lake test site, despite explicit instructions to avoid doing so. Skylab was America’s pioneering space station and a vital research laboratory in space.
The 400-page report concludes with details about the astronaut incident.
Ufologist Skepticism and the “Storm Area 51” Event
Ufologist Stanton Friedman dismissed these documents in 2013, asserting that the notion of the U-2 explaining the majority of sightings at the time was false.
In July 2019, a viral Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” gained traction, with nearly 500,000 individuals committing to infiltrate Area 51 that September.
The event description featured this message:”We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Lets [sic] see them [sic] aliens.”
A few days later, Matty Roberts, the event’s creator, clarified that it was a “joke”. Roberts conveyed his amazement at the hoax’s widespread impact.
He decided to come forward to state it was a joke out of fear the FBI would question him over the joke after millions of UFO conspiracy theory fans signed up to invade the top-secret US Air Force base.