Daytime line-of-sight rates of production of vibrationally excited CO, CO2(&ngr;3), and NO+ and their rotational temperatures are derived for the lower terrestrial thermosphere from the CIRRIS 1A database and compared with those calculated by models assuming rotational local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). It is found that vibrationally excited CO is in rotational LTE, although the calculated rate of its production is about 3 times too small. The observed radiance in the 4.3 &mgr;m band of CO2 is found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the rotational LTE model SHARC (strategic high altitude radiance code). The line-of-sight rotational temperature of this emission is, however, less than that calculated by SHARC, in agreement with earlier non-LTE model calculations. The reaction of N2+ with O is shown to be the dominant mechanism for producing NO+ above 140 km; the experimental data are consistent with the production of N(2D) and rotationally and vibrationally non-LTE NO+ as the main reaction channel.¿ 1996 American Geophysical Union