Area 51 by Sydney Dang

The juvenile fear of aliens and the mysterious circumstances surrounding Area 51 may lead one to question the fact that aliens aren’t real.  Or are they? Area 51 is a military base in Nevada that has garnered attention due to its ominous activity. As U-2 testing began, many unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings were reported due to the aircraft’s high altitude, which, at that time, would have definitely seemed alien. Since then, several conspiracy theories have developed:

1. There are aliens working with human scientists at the base.
2. The 1947 Roswell crash was actually a Soviet aircraft piloted by mutated midgets. The remnants are still at Area 51 (Blitz 1).

Although there are many conspiracy theories surrounding the enigma behind Area 51, the most plausible solution to these theories suggest that the base is, in reality, only being used as a site for experimental airplane testing (1).

Robert Lazar was dedicated to his work and stayed consistent with his beliefs despite the influx of criticism that attacked his career and credibility. In 1989, Lazar had been working as a physicist on a highly classified government project, Galileo, which involved reverse engineering alien technology (Bob Lazar Speaks Out After 25 Years: The Man Who Exposed Area 51 Defends UFO Information 1). While working on this project, he came out publicly with a story concerning UFOs and Area 51 that not only brought attention to the nation’s (ironically) most well-known undisclosed base, but also brought many disbelievers to his tale. He claimed that the alien UFOs could manipulate gravity and that the US government was involving aliens in human affairs. According to Lazar,”I am exactly sure of what I saw. I know what mainstream science is like, I know where physics stands—I know all of that—and this is an extraterrestrial craft, this technology is hundreds and hundreds of years in advance of us, and that’s the end of that story” (1).  Despite all of the critics attacking his story, Lazar’s remained true to his story. Even decades after the fiasco, Lazar recounted, “Look, I know what happened is true. There is no doubt. Period. There is no delusion,” which further emphasizes the thought that Lazar was wholeheartedly committed to his tale of extraterrestrial existence in essence and in technology (Knapp 1).

            Despite being committed to his story, Robert Lazar was also a blunt man. In an interview with George Knapp, Lazar stated:

“Look, I’m not out there giving UFO lectures or producing tapes. I’m not in the UFO business. I’m trying to run a scientific business, and if I’m The UFO Guy it makes it really difficult for me. It is to my benefit that people don’t believe the story. So when somebody says that they don’t believe my story, I say, ‘Great. Pass it around. I don’t want you to believe it because it makes life difficult for me.” (Knapp 1)

Lazar may have been the one to instigate conspiracy concerning UFOs in Area 51, but he sure is quite frank and candid when the question of whether people believe his story or not arises. He believes in what he believes in and doesn’t care to persuade anyone else to believe his story, and has actually settled for the thought that disbelievers will aid in his peace of mind. His frank confirmation regarding the fact that critics have had a strenuous effect on his life also emphasizes his blunt character. Lazar’s close friend, Gene Huff, also stated in Knapp’s interview that, “Bob wouldn’t go to the trouble to make up a story to lie to people and then perpetuate that lie, I mean, he lives in his own world and doesn’t care what people think. Bob has no idea who won the Super Bowl last year, or the World Series. He’s busy doing scientific stuff in Bob Lazar World and would not waste his time perpetuating a lie about UFOs,” which further highlights the idea that Lazar is straightforward (Knapp 1). In an interview with Jeremy Corbell, Lazar has even declared that, “I mean, you can disagree with me and say, ‘Hey, I don’t believe that’. That’s fine. I haven’t presented you with enough information. And I understand that and I would probably be in your position,” sincerely and directly addressing the nonbelievers of his story (Jeremy Corbell 1).

Lazar’s commitment to his story and the almost carelessness toward disbelievers goes to stress the idea that Lazar is forthright and straightforward in his opinion, regardless of what others may think or say. His bluntness truly defines his attitude towards his critics, which is evident as he responds, “You want some of the fame? The fame. There is no big dump truck dropping off money at my house every Thursday night. I have better things to do,” effectively shutting down his attackers. (Bob Lazar Speaks Out After 25 Years: The Man Who Exposed Area 51 Defends UFO Information). But despite Robert Lazar’s dedication and bluntness, his story still receives a lot of criticism today.

In the Area 51 conspiracy, many theories are highlighted. Area 51 is located in a rural area in Nevada, and many people from around that area have claimed to witness strange lights and floating objects that seemed to be unearthly (Jones 1). In the first conspiracy, “There are many claims that Area 51 has an underground facility where reverse engineering is being carried out on spacecrafts that allegedly belongs to aliens” (1). Radars have even detected objects that fly at inhumane speeds, prompting alien enthusiasts to declare that “Air force planes are not supposed to fly at that speed,” highlighting the idea that the UFOs could have possibly been alien technology (1). There are also testimonies of former employees that serve to further prove this theory, one of which includes former aerospace engineer Boyd Bushman. In an interview, he claimed “that the staffs of Area 51 are a mixed bag of earthlings and extraterrestrial beings” (1). More famously, however, is Bob Lazar’s story of reverse engineering alien technology, which points towards alien cooperation with scientists at the base. Despite being well-known for his involvement with the Area 51 conspiracy, the strange UFO sightings around the base can be accredited to the development of the U-2 aircraft, which, at the time, would have seemed completely alien considering its remarkable altitude.

            The second theory involves the 1947 Roswell crash. Some conspiracists believe that the crash was actually a “Soviet aircraft piloted by mutated midgets” (Blitz 1). Annie Jacobsen, author of Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base, has even written that “The saucer (...) was Russian-made and crewed by human children who were surgically altered to resemble aliens” (Swift 1). In an interview with Earl Swift, Jacobsen reiterates her complete faith in the theory, claiming that “something did crash in New Mexico; it was taken to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; and then in 1951, it was transported to the Nevada desert. Hence, that is why Area 51 has the name Area 51,” and that, “As preposterous as it sounds, we know from the testimony at Auschwitz and also at the Nuremberg trials that [Nazi scientist] Josef Mengele was conducting barbaric experiments on midgets” (1). However, despite Jacobsen’s dedication to this theory, the debris in Roswell was actually a part of Project Mogul, which was a top secret project using microphones and balloons to test for detection of Soviet nuclear testing. “It was the remains of a 700-foot-long string of neoprene balloons, radar reflectors (for tracking) and sonic equipment that the scientists had launched from the Alamogordo base in June and that had, evidently, crashed in early July 1947” (“Roswell”).

            Although these two theories have their evidence and claims, they are still only theories. The mystery of Area 51 is directly related to the development of the U-2 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft (Blitz 1). After World War II, the Soviet Union isolated themselves from the rest of the world, causing America to worry about its technological development and secretive intentions. In the early 1950s, the U.S. sent low-flying aircraft over the USSR to collect information, but they faced risks of being captured. Soon after, President Eisenhower agreed to begin “secret development of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft called the U-2 program” (1). This is where the mysterious middle-of-nowhere base comes in; the testing site needed to be secluded but also spacious. As U-2 testing began, “reports came flooding in about unidentified flying object sightings,” which would have made sense since, back then, there was no such aircraft that could have flown as high as the U-2 (1). Although this disproves the idea that there are aliens at Area 51, about 71% of those polled on Dickinson High School’s campus believe that there are aliens at Area 51. Despite all these conspiracies, Area 51 is still in use today, although not very many people know what for. Some speculate that the base is currently being used to improve stealth technology, develop advanced weapons, and even “unmanned aerial vehicles” (1).

            Robert Lazar was most well-known for his involvement with the Area 51 conspiracy concerning human involvement with aliens, especially when he came forward in an interview, claiming that he had encountered real aliens and even worked with them in reverse-engineering their aircraft. After analyzing Lazar’s statements, two conspiracies remain:

1. Humans collaborated with aliens at the base to reverse-engineer alien aircraft.
2. The 1947 Roswell Crash was not an alien aircraft, but actually an aircraft of Soviet origin piloted by midgets that were mutated through Soviet experimentation. The remains are said to be conserved at Area 51.

Based on the gathered evidence, it can be concluded that the conspiracy concerning the strange phenomenon occuring at Area 51 was, in actuality, just experimental aircraft testing for military purposes.

Works Cited

Blitz, Matt. “The Real Story Behind the Myth of Area 51.” Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2018, www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a24152/area-51-history/.

“Bob Lazar Speaks Out After 25 Years: The Man Who Exposed Area 51 Defends UFO Information » The Event Chronicle.” The Event Chronicle, The Event Chronicle, 20 May 2014, www.theeventchronicle.com/editors-pick/bob-lazar-speaks-25-years-man-exposed-area-51-defends-ufo-information/.

Corbell, Jeremy. “BOB LAZAR NEW STATEMENTS.” EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS, www.extraordinarybeliefs.com/news-2/2017/12/24/bob-lazar-new-statements.

Jones, Kim. “10 Evidences Prove The Area 51 Aliens Are Real.” Proof Of Aliens Life, 6 Mar. 2016, proofofalien.com/10-evidences-prove-the-area-51-aliens-are-real/.

Knapp, George. “Out There.” Nevada Public Radio, knpr.org/desert-companion/2014-11/out-there.

“Roswell.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/paranormal/roswell.

Swift, Earl. “Was the Roswell UFO Really a Soviet Hoax?” Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 15 Feb. 2018, www.popularmechanics.com/space/a6799/area-51-was-the-roswell-ufo-really-a-soviet-hoax-5794200/.