Rumors around Area 51 have swirled for decades.
The fact that's it a facility conducting top secret experiments deep in the Nevada desert means it's been ripe for conspiracy theories and UFO speculation.
And who can forget the infamous Facebook event in 2019 called They Can't Stop All of Us, jokingly asking people to band together and raid Area 51 - seeing what's actually going on there.
Advert
However, the CIA maintains that it is just a US air base - and has had to clarify many times over the years that it isn't a testing site for alien technology, nor does anyone examine samples secretly secured from UFOs there.
Instead, the CIA says Area 51 is a testing facility where the air force can try out new planes, drones and more without having prying eyes looking over their shoulders.
This means that it's played a pivotal part in the development of some very famous planes over the years, including the U-2 spy plane that was so famous during the Cold War.
The U-2 was used on reconnaissance missions high over targets of interest, and was designed to be hard to detect on radar or by other means.
Advert
Of course, the fact that Area 51 is a testing platform for planes like the U-2 and other airborne vehicles that aren't yet public knowledge is key to its reputation.
After all, while an Unidentified Flying Object (the full name for a UFO) sounds like it's probably an alien vessel at first glance, it can just as easily mean an experimental spy plane seen at great distance that isn't on any public flight plan.
Area 51 was first acquired by the air force back in the 1950s, so it's been playing host to these sorts of tests and experiments for a very long time now, but it was only 2013 that the US government officially acknowledged its existence.
Advert
Those who fervently believe that Area 51 is more than just a testing base, though, are hard to convince otherwise.
After all, by their reasoning, if you had aliens to dissect and experiment with, the last thing you'd do is publicly announce that.
So, this is probably one of those situations where people have already decided what to believe - any official announcements are unlikely to change anyone's minds.