  FUV high resolution spectra of 18 stars, particularly chosen to observe the
interstellar medium (ISM), were obtained during the second ORFEUS-SPAS free
flight space shuttle mission in December 1996. Among these were 6 objects with
a distance to the galactic plane larger than 1 kpc, one SMC and 4 LMC stars.
This selction of targets is part of the ORFEUS program to explore the galactic
halo. As the most important tracer of the hot gas we analyzed the stronger
component of the important O VI doublet in all our ISM spectra. We found an
average N(O VI) x sin |b| = 3.5 x 10^14 /cm^2 on the lines of sight to the 4
LMC stars. Assuming an exponential distribution of O VI we calculated a
midplane density n(o) of 2.07 x 10^-8 /cm^3 and a scle height h(o) of 5.50 kpc.
(Research supported in part by the DARA)
