Major Tom

Major Tom is a fictional astronaut created by David Bowie, first appearing in the 1969 song "Space Oddity." The character drifts helplessly into space after losing contact with ground control, becoming an enduring symbol of isolation, disconnection, and the allure of oblivion.

Bowie revisited the character in later songs.

The name has become shorthand for someone who has checked out or gone incommunicado: He's gone Major Tom on us.