The failed launch of a U.S. rocket has been recorded by spectators who are coming forward to share their experiences.

Propelled by a Russian-made engine, the unmanned Antares rocket was intended to deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station before exploding seconds after liftoff from a commercial launch pad on Virginia's eastern seaboard.

Eyewitness videos uploaded to YouTube were quick to show the extent of the accident.

The explosion, which NASA has called a "mishap," was clearly visible from around the launch site in Virginia. So far, footage of the accident include a short video filmed from a plane and close-up pictures from the nearby press site. (Warning: Some of these videos contain profanity.)

This is what the failed launch looked like on the NASA live stream. Seconds after announcing "We have liftoff," the speaker stops while the rocket is engulfed by flames.

As the fireball fills the screen and then fades, an announcement to NASA personnel goes out: "Launch team, be advised: Stay at your consoles." A press conference discussing the event was held by NASA shortly after the failed launch.

People who had gathered at a nearby shore to view the start of Antares were stunned by what unfurled before their eyes. This video shows a crowd that had gathered for the launch, cellphones in hands, cameras set up on tripods and one child sitting on someone's shoulders to get a better view.

Fascination soon turns into shock as the rocket goes up in flames, the sound of the explosion reaching the spectators moments after the sky lights up in bright orange flames.

Another video shows the explosion from the air, filmed out of a small aircraft flying nearby. On his YouTube channel, pilot Ed Sealing says he filmed the video with his tablet computer while in a Cessna at an altitude of roughly 900 meters near NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

Over the sound of the engine, you hear the pilot's running commentary as he realizes what it is he's witnessing. As the explosion spreads, the perspective of the videos tilts for a moment. Sealing continues to film until a big plume of smoke spreads in the sky over the launch site.

Finally, what may be the most dramatic video of the incident is one that appears to have been filmed from the press site near the launch location.

Before lift-off, people are shushing each other as the tension mounts. But cheers are soon replaced by dismay and cries of "Oh God" as seconds pass. Eventually, people can be heard scrambling to get away over the constant clicking of a camera shutter mechanism.

While some YouTube users have commented on the extent of panic in view of the failure of an unmanned mission, it is worth noting that, so shortly after the explosion, nobody knew that all ground staff involved in the launch were safe and accounted for.