When most people think about Area 51, aliens and spaceships come to mind. For years, civilians have tried to get a closer look of Area 51 and determine what goes on there. Security is tight and the facilities within the area have managed to keep their work and activities a secret from the world.

Newly declassified documents were recently released and they reveal a good bit about the area. Sadly, there is no mention of little green men in spaceships, but the documents do offer information about the purpose of the secret facility.

The documents pertain to the security of the area and whether or not a photo of the facility, accidentally taken by NASA, should be allowed to be released for the public to see. Most of the documents dated back to the 60’s and 70’s, during which time, Area 51 security was worried about the Soviet Union’s spy satellites being able to see and photograph the facility.

The declassified documents also show the extent that Area 51 went to to make sure their planes were not seen by aerial photos and satellites

“But, of course, the CIA knew the flight paths of Soviet satellites, and they would avoid having their aircraft in the open when satellites were overhead,” “The best form of concealment is a big hangar where you can park all your planes,” said Dwayne Day, an American space historian.

In spite of efforts to prevent the public from knowing anything about Area 51, there are many informative documents that can be viewed at the National Security Archive’s website.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.