These days we take great pains to not do that exact thing. (Earlier missions, not so much so.)

Mainly, because if we detect life on other planets - we have to make sure we didn't introduce the life ourself. (And vice-versa.)

Now, once we have explored some promising planet or moon, and determined that there is no meaningful life there - then terraforming because more feasible.

I wish the space comunity had some clear lines when to begin that step on Mars. I would love to see a micrope colony followed up by a rover in My life time.

There are laws preventing spreading life to other worlds (at least for the time being)

imagine going to supermax for that

Because we havent had a great track record of introducing (intentionally or not) new flora and fauna to new ecosystems on Earth. Australia is a good example. We are not technologically proficient enough to predict and factor all variables that will create a homeostasis. If we try now, it will probably create a runaway chain reaction, a Frankenstein, a bigger problem that future generations will need to solve. To donit correctly, we would need a create and test a Martian biodome on Earth. There's also the big question how and who decides what Mars should look like and how we as humanity plan to utilize it. This political question is becoming more pressing, as governments and private corporations are increasingly setting their sights on exploratory missions to the Moon to develop permanent bases and asteroids for natural resource extraction.

Probably the biggest reason we don't do that at the moment is the fear that it could eliminate native life forms that we could learn a lot from. Probably overblown as the native forms are likely to be better adapted. But certainly possible.

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