launchpad vs platform

launchpad and platform both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
launchpad	Yes	No	No	No
platform	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, platform is a hypernym of launchpad; that is, platform is a word with a broader meaning than launchpad:

launchpad (noun)	platform (noun)
a platform from which rockets or space craft are launched	a raised horizontal surface
	any military structure or vehicle bearing weapons
	a woman's shoe with a very high thick sole
	the combination of a particular computer and a particular operating system
	a long, flat raised structure of a railway station, where people get on and off of trains
	a document stating the aims and principles of a political party