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Maria Santos-Lleo
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In the same year Maria worked as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Paris-Meudon Observatory, France. Over her three years in Paris, Maria gained experience as an optical astronomer by observing in the Canary Islands and in Chile.
Maria continued her research at the Spanish Laboratory for Space Astrophysics and Fundamental Physics (LAEFF) near Madrid in 1995 and joined ESA as a scientist in the XMM-Newton science operations team in 1998, one year before the launch of the mission. In 2004 Maria became the leader of the community support and mission planning team and then the Science Support Manager in 2007. Throughout this time Maria continued her research which is now mostly oriented to the analysis and interpretation of X-ray emission.
Maria now lives in Madrid and got into astronomy because she has always found the night sky extremely fascinating, considering it to be one of the most beautiful views nature offers to us. She thoroughly enjoys explaining our understanding of how the Universe works to others. If Maria didn’t work at ESA she would have liked to work in a University and dedicate her work to both research and education. In her spare time Maria enjoys talking with friends and spending time with her husband and four children.