Precision measurement of the rotational energy-level structure of the three-electron molecule He 2 + The data were combined with spectroscopic data on low-lying triplet np and nf Rydberg states from the literature to derive energy-and internuclear-distance-dependent eigenquantum-defect parameters of multichannel quantum-defect theory (MQDT). The MQDT calculations reproduce the experimental data within their experimental uncertainties and enabled the derivation of potential-energy curves for the lowest triplet p Rydberg states (n = 2-5) of He 2 . The eigenquantum-defect parameters describing the p -f interaction were found to be larger than 0.002 at the energies corresponding to the high-n Rydberg states, so that the p -f interaction plays an important role in the autoionization dynamics of np Rydberg states with