[curiousObject]

>On the timescale of decades, does a 2 week vs a 10 week waiting period make much of a difference?

I agree. It probably doesn’t make much difference now. There are very unlikely to be any important data that will be lost. The mitigation process they already implemented seems prudent and sufficient

During earlier parts of the mission, like planetary encounters, it would make a difference. Even a two week wait could be much too long in those circumstances.

[jjk166]

Presumably during encounters the probe was in a different control scheme to keep its instruments pointed at the planet, as opposed to keeping its antenna pointed at Earth.