The accumulation of space debris, and congestion of near-Earth orbits, represent an outstanding challenge to the safe use of our space environment. Atmospheric drag in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is a primary perturbative force on near-Earth orbiting satellites and space debris and is highly sensitive to solar activity and the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. Magnetospheric current systems close through the ionosphere and associated ion-neutral collisions, i.e. Joule heating, can drastically modulate the spatially- and temporally-varying outer extent of the atmosphere. Unlike the many isolated in-situ measurements carried out by space missions so far, distributed neutral, magnetic field and plasma observations by a swarm of cubesats, in tandem with precise tracking of their orbital dynamics, offer the global view necessary to disentangle the complex transfers of energy and momentum through the tightly coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system and their influence on satellite orbits.

In this talk we outline a quantum-enabled mission concept, currently proposed to the European Space Agency, to understand the evolution of field-aligned and ionospheric currents, Joule heating and the responses of the neutral atmosphere. In particular, we outline two enabling technology development studies relating to a fibre-coupled diamond magnetometer and a quantum-limited levitated nano-particle instrument which promise to significantly enhance this mission concept and future mission in this environment.