There is a problem with the English language. Actually the problem is the fact that so much of what is modern English is derived from countless other languages. This has the tendency to make English the most difficult language in the world.
In the case of the probes leaving tracks, the problem lies in the use of the work "track." It is common usage to say that a person walking through pristine snow has left a clear set of tracks that another could easily follow. The tracks are composed of footprints but are called tracks all the same.
Confused? I think the language was designed for just that purpose. No wonder there are so few of us who can honestly claim to have a mastery of its many complexities.
So, the bottom line is the statement they leave tracks is correct AND you are correct. It really is a matter of semantics, not facts.