1959’s Project OXCART met different conditions than it’s predecessor, the Lockheed A-12. Among other things, the OXCART was meant to test the Lockheed A-12 aircraft and train with it. It was made possible thanks to a new and improved 8,500-foot runway.
Before this new runway was introduced, the base had runways that were unpaved and thousands of feet shorter. Talk about an extreme makeover!
The Cinematics of It All
The mystery, rumors, and conspiracy theories circling Area 51 have inspired numerous filmmakers, especially American ones.
References, parodies, and artistic depictions of the place can be found in decades of cinematic history. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", "The Signal", and "Escape From Planet Earth" are just a drop in the bucked of Area 51 films.
Flying Under the Radar
Back in the 1950s, when Area 51 served as a home for the Lockheed program, the crew that worked on it had to be regularly flown in and out of the perimeter. Those many flights were problematic in terms of secrecy.
They then developed a stealthy flight schedule to keep them from being noticed: the crew flew into the facility on early Mondays and left it late on Fridays. The general assumption was that people are generally too busy with weekend plans to notice suspicious flights happening overhead. Do you not look up on weekends?
The 1961 Renovations
In 1961, the Area 51 perimeter went through extensive renovations. Many of the old buildings were replaced or repurposed, and some new buildings were added to the party.
The facility was also introduced to three surplus Navy hangars and a reservoir pond surrounded with trees. The staff housing was upgraded from a handful of trailers to 130 Babbitt duplexes. How luxurious!
Joking With Google
In September 2019, Google Maps jumped on the internet joke calling on people to storm Area 51. No, Google didn't encourage people to threaten national security, but it did add a little easter egg.
Those who tried to find Area 51 on Google Maps' satellite view, were surprised to see that the cursor hovering over the place has turned from an arrow into an itty-bitty spaceship!