Abstract We report first ns-resolved absorption measurements of the ro-vibrational excitation of CO₂. The high temporal resolution of 8 ns is made possible by a fast detector (rise-time 5 ns), sensitive in the mid-infrared region. The resolution is achieved by a slow temperature scan of a quantum cascade laser and a segmented data capturing scheme. A repetitively pulsed ns discharge in 10% CO₂ + 90% He at 150 mbar and a repetition rate of 2 kHz is investigated. The evolution of the population densities of the different vibration modes as well as the associated vibrational and rotational temperatures within the discharge pulse of only 150 ns length are simultaneously determined and provide valuable insight into the CO₂ excitation dynamics. A preferential excitation in the asymmetric vibrational mode is observed in the discharge phase shortly after the breakdown.