Launchpad is one of my favorite Disney TV characters. I even kinda like the odd slide from headstrong hero in Ducktales to the overgrown, doofusy fanboy who's sometimes the voice of reason in Darkwing Duck. It's like the difference between Bill Daily in I Dream of Jeannie and Bill Daily in The Bob Newhart Show (the latter I'm convinced the Darkwing Duck writers were huge fans of). So, hypothetically, if Launchpad doesn't appear in the show because Donald is being restored to his comic book role, I'm conflicted.
I've been saying for years I don't so much want to see another Ducktales project as much as I do an Uncle Scrooge one. Something closer to the comics that inspired it, rather than the recursive Indiana Jones homage type 80's cartoon series that it was (Ducktales' Logo even has the same font as an Indiana Jones movie). Something that actually didn't feature divergent Beagle Boys, Launchpad, and the other characters made specifically for the show. Something that did continue to focus on Glomgold and Magica, as well as digging up Rockerduck and other comic book villains that haven't been given the Ducktales treatment. On the other hand, Ducktales has been ingrained in every Scrooge McDuck fan born about the 80's before getting access to the comics. And it was a great, groundbreaking cartoon with some great character additions. So really, I don't know if I wanted more Ducktales, but better written than the last season (minus the Gizmoduck episodes, of course. Those were great), or a straight up Uncle Scrooge cartoon. This cartoon looks to find the exact middle ground between those two.
Besides, they could always handwave it as the time Launchpad was in St. Canard. Still, this is just a theory of mine, as LP isn't featured in any of the promotional material so far, but Donald is prominent. Though it does sound like at least the divergent Beagle Boys are going to be back, so anything could happen with this. Still excited as heck about it.