Yes, it is possible to visit the Moon without landing on its surface. Several missions have been conducted in the past that involved orbiting the Moon or performing flybys without attempting a landing. Here are a few examples:
Lunar Orbit Missions: These missions involve spacecraft entering lunar orbit and circling the Moon without landing. The spacecraft can gather valuable scientific data, take photographs, and study the lunar environment. Examples include the Apollo missions, where the command module remained in lunar orbit while the lunar module descended to the surface with astronauts.
Lunar Flybys: A lunar flyby mission involves passing by the Moon at a relatively close distance without entering orbit. This allows spacecraft to study the Moon from a closer perspective and capture images or collect data during the flyby. For instance, the Soviet Union's Luna program included missions that performed flybys of the Moon to capture images and collect scientific measurements.
Lunar Impact Missions: These missions involve intentionally crashing a spacecraft onto the Moon's surface. The impact generates data about the Moon's composition and structure. For example, NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission in 2009 intentionally impacted a spent rocket stage into a lunar crater to study the resulting plume and search for water ice.
Lunar Reconnaissance Missions: These missions aim to orbit the Moon and gather detailed data about its surface, topography, gravity, and other scientific measurements. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), launched by NASA in 2009, has been in lunar orbit since then and has provided extensive data about the Moon's features.
So, while landing on the Moon is a significant milestone in space exploration, it is not the only way to visit or study our nearest celestial neighbor. Orbital missions, flybys, and impact missions have all contributed to our understanding of the Moon and its various characteristics.