Earlier attempts to determine the rate coefficient for the process N2++e→&agr;N+N from the Atmosphere Explorer satellite data were based on measurements made near the minimum of the solar cycle. This phase of solar activity is not optimum for such a determination, as the N2+ chemistry is dominated by the minor ion species, O+(2D). In a study of the N2+ ion using measurements made during 1978, a significantly higher phase of solar activity, we find the major source of N2+ is photoionization, rather than charge exchange with O+(2D), and the major loss process above 300 km is dissociative recombination with electrons. Under a data sample for biguously determined. Using a data sample for which the electron temperature covered the range 1000 to 3400¿K, we evaluate &agr;, and find the results to be in good agreement with the laboratory measurements given by the expression &agr;=1.8¿10-7 (Te/300)-0.39 cm3sec-1