We present the MOONRISE payload development for a first proof-of-concept of additive manufacturing on the Moon via melting of lunar regolith as locally available resource. The rugged and compact flight model, which is designed and will be assembled, characterized and environmentally tested by Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH), contains a diode laser operated in cw mode, whose output beam is focused onto the lunar surface for the melting process. In combination with a beam deflection system, molten beads, lines and even two-dimensional structures can be built in the harsh lunar environment and analyzed via dedicated camera images. The image analysis of the melting sites and the molten samples will be assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) which is currently programmed and trained at LZH and supported by Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) via the acquisition of appropriate training data obtained with lunar analog models. Additionally, the TUB contributes the tailored regolith simulants required for the melting process development and optimization at LZH. The collaborative project contains a firmly booked lunar surface mission executed by Astrobotic as one of the leading aerospace companies within NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.