Holden is a 140 km wide crater situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars, located with the southern highlands.

Like Gusev, it is notable for an outlet channel, Uzboi Vallis, that runs into it, and for many features that seem to have been created by flowing water.

The upper unit formed when water that was ponded to the south in Uzboi Vallis broke through Holden's rim.

[8][9] Some of the evidence for such a large flow of water is the presence of boulders tens of meters in size sticking above the surface.

Eventually, water from drainage from the walls, with possibly a contribution from groundwater, collected to make the first lake.

[21] At a certain point the stored water broke through the rim of Holden and created a second, shorter-lived lake 200–250 m deep.

[22] Water with a depth of at least 50 m entered Holden at a rate that 5-10 times the discharge of the Mississippi River.

[2][23][24][25] Terraces and the presence of large rocks (tens of meters across) support these high discharge rates.

To safely bring the craft down, a 12 mile wide, smooth, flat circle is needed.