Area 51

"That's the base we send the technology we bring back through the gate, right?"

- Daniel Jackson

Area 51, also known as the Groom Lake Facility, is a secret government area in Nevada, Earth. It has long been associated with government secrets about extraterrestrials. According to SG-1, the rumors are true. Various artifacts are kept there, and research is conducted into building new technology, such as ships. At one point or another, Harry Maybourne, Samantha Carter and Rodney McKay have all been employed at Area 51.

Area 51 contains labs for medical research, geology, space metallurgy, and artifacts study. In these labs, scientists focused on a potential cure for Alzheimer's that SG-5 brought back. Other projects included: studying the two Goa'uld Death Gliders procured by SG-1 from Apophis' attack on Earth and poring over Daniel Jackson's notes on Heliopolis about "the meaning of life stuff".

Because alien technology has occasionally gone missing from Area 51 over the years, security measures were significantly increased in 2004. No-one's allowed to bring anything in or out. No computers, no cell phones, not even their street clothes. All personnel are subject to a thorough search and scan every time they leave.

History
In 1998, SG-1 traveled to Area 51 to check the status of Earth's second Stargate, supposedly under 24-hour guard, after finding evidence that it may have recently been used to steal the Touchstone from Madrona. Upon their arrival, they discovered the gate to be fake&mdash; made out of plastic. After being forced to leave Area 51, SG-1 eventually discovered that the Stargate was taken to southern Utah. Stargate Command then placed the gate under round-the-clock guard under the command of the SGC.

In 1999, Samantha Carter and Major Kawalsky used the quantum mirror from the planet P3R-233 to escape their reality and make their way to Area 51, where the quantum mirror of our universe was being held, having been discovered by SG-1. After this, the mirror was brought back to the SGC for a short time and then destroyed sometime after.

In 2002, SG-1 and Jonas Quinn visited Area 51 after being notified that the X-302 had finished construction. Later that day Anubis attacked Earth's Stargate using the Ancient Stargate destroyer. In an attempt to save the planet, the Stargate was taken to Peterson, loaded onto a C-17, and flown to Area 51. There, the Stargate was attached to the X-302 and was placed on top of a Boeing 747.

In 2004 when the Stargate was beamed out of the SGC, Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson went to Area 51 and spoke with Hugh Bricksdale. He was able to get the transporter wrist control which Osiris left behind after her attack on Daniel Jackson working, which he studied at Area 51, but sold his findings to The Trust for $2 million USD. Daniel Jackson persuaded him to get the device working again in order to retrieve the captured Samantha Carter and Earth's Stargate from Osiris' cloaked ship, in orbit around Earth's moon.

In 2006 when the Atlantis Expedition was forced to leave the city after the Ancients aboard the Tria reclaimed it, Rodney Mckay stated that he might go work for Area 51 again and tool around with as much of the database as they were able to bring back. He just didn't know how many times he would have been asked to save the day at the eleventh hour there. However, his eventual employment at the facility was brief as Atlantis was eventually reclaimed by the Expedition and he resumed his position as lead scientist.

In 2009, a battle between F-302s and Wraith darts took place in the sky over Area 51. However, because the darts far outnumbered the defending F-302s, Area 51 was hit by kamikaze Wraith Darts aiming to destroy the Control chair relocated from the Antarctic outpost.

Technology known to have been kept in Area 51
The facility most likely possess more technology than stated above.
 * Beta Gate (destroyed)
 * Quantum Mirror (destroyed)
 * Prometheus (destroyed)
 * Osiris' Kara kesh
 * Ma'chello's medical bed
 * Mimetic device
 * Interdimensional visibility device
 * Ark of Truth
 * Death gliders (one lost)
 * Al'kesh (has no hyperdrive)
 * Camulus's tainted ZPM
 * Incomplete ship (Nightwalkers)
 * Lightning ring (possibly)
 * Goa'uld Aging nanites
 * Scanning device
 * Staff Weapons (most likely several)
 * X-302 (Destroyed)
 * Zat'nik'tels (most likely several)
 * Drone Weapons
 * Control chair (relocated from Antarctica) (destroyed)

Alternate realities

 * In an alternate reality, Area 51 housed the Control chair, which was relocated from the Antarctic, and the wreckage of several Wraith Darts that had crashed to Earth after a battle took place above the planet. Todd was also kept captive here for some time.  The base also served as main operations while alternate versions of the Atlantis Expedition worked with Detective John Sheppard in tracking down a Wraith that had been disguising himself as Human.
 * In an alternate reality, Vala Mal Doran was being held prisoner in the facility.