Area 51 is known for hiding information about extraterrestrial life. Located in the Nevada desert, Area 51 has long been a mystery to those investigating the possibility of alien life. Every year, this Air Force base near Western Nevada attracts thousands of visitors from around the world eager to witness unidentified flying objects. Located about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, it can be found between mile markers 29 and 30 along Nevada Highway 375, an unmarked dirt road that is not visible from the main highway. This route leads to Groom Lake, which is listed as a civilian airport on aviation maps and is often referred to as a military facility under various unofficial names.

Originally designated as a silver and lead mining area before World War II, the site was taken over by the military when the war began, turning it into a weapons and nuclear testing center. The United States established this secret facility in the desert during the Cold War after Chinese intelligence developed a reconnaissance aircraft. An Army officer then identified the need for a separate base to produce and test prototype aircraft. In 1955, he and designer Kelly Johnson selected the remote site at Groom Lake as their headquarters. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission then included the base on the existing Nevada test site map, designating it Site 51.

Within eight months, engineers had created the U2, which was capable of flying at altitudes exceeding 70,000 feet, significantly higher than any other aircraft of the time. This altitude allowed pilots to operate beyond the reach of radar and Soviet aircraft. After the U2 encountered Soviet anti-aircraft fire in 1960, the CIA initiated the development of the next generation of reconnaissance aircraft, the A-12, which was built with a titanium fuselage and designed to reach speeds of up to 2,200 mph, making it extremely difficult to detect. It was determined that the A-12 could fly over the continental United States for 70 minutes while equipped with advanced cameras capable of photographing objects as small as 12 inches (305 mm) from altitudes exceeding 17,000 feet (27 km).

The connection between Area 51 and aliens came to the fore in 1989 after an interview with an individual claiming to work there. Robert Lazar told a Las Vegas news station that Area 51 was involved in the study of alien spacecraft and said his role focused on reverse engineering alien technology. His claims have been met with skepticism, especially since he falsely asserted that he had information from reputable organizations that corroborated the facts. Engineers at Area 51 were actually involved in developing advanced aircraft of foreign, not extraterrestrial origin. However, numerous reports of unidentified flying objects have emerged alongside the extensive flying operations at Area 51, including more than 2,850 missions involving the A-12.

Security journalist Jacob Sen noted in his 2011 article about Area 51 that sightings of unidentified flying objects had spiked in the area. The titanium structure of the A-12 uniquely reflects sunlight, leading observers to mistake it for a strange U.S. Air Force aircraft. Private pilot Gabri took aerial photos of Area 51, revealing updated images of the base, which look very similar to previous photos but provide a clearer view of a long hangar-like structure believed to contain irregularly shaped objects, measuring 36 metres wide and 97 metres long, located next to the runway inside the base.