The Bob Lazar FAQ

The Answers

1. So just who is Bob Lazar anyway?
   Robert Lazar is a scientist claiming to have worked in an above Top Secret installation known as S-4, ten miles south of AREA 51 in the Nevada desert. (1)
2. Why all the fuss?
   He was a scientist who claims to have been employed between December 1988 and April 1989 to examine a captured flying saucer to try and reverse engineer the saucer's propulsion mechanism. He claims that there were nine different saucers at S-4, although he was only working on one of them. (1)
3. Where did he say he worked?
   Area S-4 in the Nevada Test Site/Nellis Bombing and Gunnery Range. There are three S-4s in the Nevada Test Site. One is a nuclear reactor, one is an area just south of the Tonopah test range, and one called Papoose Dry Lake Bed, ten miles south of Area 51. It is the latter area that he claims to have worked in. (1)
4. Who did he work for?
   He claims he was hired as a senior staff physicist at Area S-4, for what he was told was the United States Navy. (2)
5. Why did he come forward?
   Apparently, from a remote viewpoint he showed the craft being tested at S-4 to others who didn't have proper security clearances. He claims that after his employer found this out, personal information of his started 'disappearing'. Things such as birth certificates, past employer records etc. He was also in fear of his life at one moment in time. (3)
6. What about his education?
   To quote Lazar: "I have two masters degrees; one's in physics; one's in electronics. I wrote my thesis on MHD, which is magnetohydrodynamics." (3)

   From the Pre-Sentence Report, dated 7/27/90, for Lazar's pandering conviction: (5)
   

   • 8-76, high school graduate, Westbury, New York (verified)
   • 1978, Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics and Electronic Technology, Pacifica University (correspondence university).
   • 1982, Masters of Science in Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
     • (No physical proof of degree available)
   • 1985, Masters of Science in Electronic Technology, Cal Tech, California.
     • (No physical proof of degree available)

   Lazar also claims to have attended both Los Angeles Pierce College and Cal State University, Northridge before attending Cal Tech and MIT.(6)

7. Who were his past employers?
   
   • Fairchild Electronics in southern California (4)
   • Los Alamos National Laboratory - Meson Physics facility (5)
     • (Only available proof is his listed name in the LANL phone directory)
   • United States Navy(2)
     • (Only available proof is a W-2 form issued by the U.S. Navy)
8. What did he actually do there?
   He claims to have been hired to be part of a "back engineering" team. Back engineering is the act of taking apart a finished product to find out what makes it tick. In this instance, their job was to back engineer a flying disc to see if it could be reproduced with earth materials. His specific job was to help back engineer the propulsion system (4)
9. How may others worked there?
   To Quote Lazar: "22 people that I knew of, in the area that I worked in. How extensive the rest of the facility was, I don't know." (3)
10. Saucers? Really?, come on...
    Yes, Saucers... More specifically, Lazar claims that there were at least nine different types housed at S-4. He worked only on one type. He dubbed this the 'Sports Model'. A scaled model of this craft is currently available from the Testors Corporation.
11. Academic degrees?
    This has been an extremely difficult subject - Basically there is no physical evidence to support Lazar's claims of receiving Masters degrees from MIT or Cal Tech.
12. Bankruptcy?
    Lazar did file for Chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy in 1986.(6) This occurred approximately two years before going to work for the Navy at S-4.
13. Acquaintances and Contacts?
    
    • John Lear
    • Gene Huff
    • Edward Teller
14. Experience with Las Vegas brothels?
    Lazar apparently installed some computer equipment for a Las Vegas brothel at some point in time. During an interview he announced this on television. Since prostitution is illegal in certain cities of Nevada (Las Vegas included), the brothel owners and Lazar were charged accordingly. The owners were charged with a misdemeanor while Lazar was charge with six felonies. He eventually plead guilty to pandering and the rest of charges were dropped. (4)
15. Testors UFO model tie?
    Currently, a plastic model kit of Lazar's 'Sport Model' is available from the Testors Model Corporation. Testors has also done other scaled replicas of 'black budget' models in the past.
16. Movie connections
    A movie about Lazar and his claims is in the works.(8)
    • Studio: New Line Cinema
    • Director: Chuck Russell
    • Producers: Michael DeLuca, Chuck Russell, and Jon Farhat
    • F/X, CGI: Jon Farhat
    • Screenwriter: David Rabe
    • Release Date: 1996
17. Movies?, model saucers? Isn't he just ca$hing in on this?
    Possibly..
18. Disinformation? Couldn't he actually work for the government?
    Possibly..
19. Hummm.. Could he actually be telling the truth?
    Possibly..
20. Where is he today?
    He still lives in Las Vegas at the same house he had before, during, and after the S4 events. (7)
21. What is he doing now?
    He runs a photo processing lab for real estate appraisers and also has a contract to repair alpha probes (alpha radiation detectors) for Los Alamos National Laboratory. (7)
22. Why doesn't he continue following his story?
    His story has been out there for 6 years now. He's cooperated in the past, but he feels there's not much more he can do. Focus is now turned to getting his story out to the general public. He feels a feature film release is the best way to reach the most people.(7)
23. How can I see Area51/Groom Lake?
    Interested parties should contact the Area51 Research Center run by local resident and expert Glenn Campbell. He's more than willing to provide PUBLIC information.
24. How can I see Area S-4?
    Interested parties should contact: Tom Mahood (tmahood@netcom.com) for a FREE guide on how to see the Papoose Lake area.
25. Is ther more information on the Net?
    For more information check out IUFOG - The Lazar Page
    

The References

1. UFO Guide on Lazar by Nick Humphries
2. 11/21/89: Billy Goodman's Happening, KVEG Radio; Las Vegas, NV, 10:00pm - 1:00am
3. 12/20/89: Billy Goodman Happening Show, KVEG Radio; Las Vegas, Nevada
4. The Lazar Synopsis by Gene Huff
5. The Lazar Flaws - The Academic Background by Tom Mahood
6. The Robert Lazar Timeline by Tom Mahood
7. Mail received from Gene Huff - 06/13/95
8. Mail received from Gene Huff - 07/12/95

The page was updated Monday, November 04, 1996

Please refer all comments to the original Authors.

When not available, please contact us