Area 51

Summary:

Off topic, but what is area 51?

Area 51

Kevin (guest) 21 Sep 2010 05:50

So yah, I have just heard about this thing today from some friends. They say that's where people do research on "captured" aliens, but I have my doubts. My question then is, does area 51 exist? If so, what does it really do?

Re: Area 51

Astrogeek 21 Sep 2010 06:06

Not at all related to 2012.

"Area 51" was where the Air Force did some highly classified stuff, including testing new airplane designs, etc.

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"Do you ever think about things you do think about?" - Henry Drummond to Matthew Harrison Brady in Inherit the Wind

Re: Area 51

Marko S 21 Sep 2010 14:46

Yeah, like Astrogeek says, Area 51 is (or was) most probably a test ground for next generation U.S. Air Force aircraft.

I say "was", because they probably do not test their stuff there much any more - too many enthusiastic UFO believers lurking around and filming everything… :-)

I bet they tested the F-117 stealth fighter, B-2 stealth bomber and their prototypes there during the 1970's and the 1980's (they went public in the Persian Gulf War in 1991).

I also bet that what they are testing now has probably something to do with next-generation robotic UAV's (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), like the next iteration of Predator and that sort of things. Maybe an unmanned fighter-interceptor concepts or something like that.

But no, not UFO's or aliens.

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One's convictions should be proportional to one's evidence. - Sam Harris

Kevin (guest) 21 Sep 2010 15:56

Ohhhh I see, but if this place was so classified, how did people get to know it in the first place?

3WMElliott 21 Sep 2010 16:10

Just because it's classified, doesn't mean people can't drive past it and see that it's there (even if they have to drive a long way out, grab some binoculars and flee the armed patrol units, but you get the idea).