I have heard that astronauts in the early years of spaceflight were very close friends, like the seven Mercury astronauts, Gemini astronauts, etc. Is this still true of the astronauts today?

I think it is equally true today as it was back then. But in group dynamics, such as the groups you may belong to, there are all kinds of diversities in terms of how close or how far away people are; how much they harmonize and how much they just simply have to work professionally and get the job done, even though they may not feel that close. But I think today, the spirit or the cadre that we have is very similar to back then. We have common goals, common endeavors, and a common spirit