To solve the problem of fitting a ~100-meter wingspan into standard airport taxiways and maintenance hangars, the An-990 would feature outer wing sections that automatically fold upwards (like the Navy E-2 Hawkeye but on a massive scale) or detach via hydraulic locks. This would allow it to use existing An-124 infrastructure while carrying twice the payload of the An-225.
The An-990's design was truly avant-garde, featuring a number of innovative solutions that set it apart from other aircraft of its time: Antonov An 990