Should future Mars colonies prioritize terraforming over building self-sustaining habitats?

14 Eki 06:45

I'm curious about the strategic direction for establishing a permanent presence on the Red Planet. On one hand, large-scale terraforming projects could eventually make Mars more Earth‑like, but they demand massive resources, time, and uncertain outcomes. On the other hand, focusing on compact, self‑sustaining habitats lets us start living there sooner, yet may lock us into limited expansion. How do you weigh the trade‑offs between long‑term planetary engineering and short‑term survivability? What factors should drive the priority—science, economics, ethics, or something else? Would love to hear your thoughts and any alternative approaches you see.