Russia has launched its first probe to the Moon in almost 50 years after it blasted off from Moscow yesterday. 

The launch of the Luna-25 probe is Moscow's first lunar mission since 1976, when the USSR was a pioneer in the conquest of space.

The rocket with the Luna-25 probe lifted off at 2:10am Moscow time (11:10pm GMT Thursday) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to live images broadcast by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

The mission designed to give fresh impetus to its space sector, which has been struggling for years and become isolated by the conflict in Ukraine. 

The spacecraft is due to reach lunar orbit in five days where it will then spend between three and seven days choosing the right spot before landing in the lunar south pole area for the first time in history. 

'For the first time in history, the lunar landing will take place on the lunar south pole. Until now, everyone has been landing in the equatorial zone,' senior Roscosmos official Alexander Blokhin said in a recent interview.

Roscosmos expects the probe to land on the Moon around August 21, a source in the agency told AFP.

The spacecraft, which will remain on the Moon for a year, will be tasked with 'taking (samples) and analysing the soil' as well as 'conducting long-term scientific research', the Russian space agency said.