Thursday's final landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis was a special moment for many people, and for one group of young people, the landing created unforgettable memories.

Kids attending space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center had an early wake up call Thursday.

At 4 a.m., they all gathered in the camp's cafeteria to witness history. The campers watched Atlantis making its final touchdown while still in their pajamas.

"Fifteen years from now they will not remember how tired they were, but they will remember that they got up and watched the final shuttle land ever," said Tim Hall, spokesman for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

"It's a memory that we were able to give them that they can keep forever and ever," he added.

"It was quite exciting, but also quite sad because it is over," fourth-year camper Emily Lightowlers said.

"But you also got to think about the shuttle program has been around for a while," she added. "So it's exciting to know, well what comes next?"

After the shuttle landed, some of the space campers decided to head back to their bunks for an extra hour of sleep.

But most decided to stay up for the rest of the day.

They said they wanted to soak up every minute of the historic day at camp.